


song of blood

by astroblemish



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood Magic, Demons, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-13 14:22:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 113,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19252951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astroblemish/pseuds/astroblemish
Summary: Baekhyun's sworn duty as a wolf is to kill all wildlings, but when a near-death experience brings him to Jongdae, the demon prince, life as Baekhyun knows it changes for good.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> big thank u to the hivemind, edori, for being a fellow furry and drawing the cutest [jongdae](https://twitter.com/chen_gzi/status/1131729679985958912), and of course to cat, who is the father of this child. truly you have been with this fic from it's stupid conception of "what if a dog and a cat had a star-crossed romance but like, Serious" to all the self-loathing you have put up with from editing-me. the working title for this was 'furry shit for cat' with good reason, so thank u for holding my hand through it all. i do hope u both enjoy it :>
> 
> as always when i write furry garbage, i have to say that everyone in this fic is just a normal human/demon that may or may not have cute ears and a tail. they're more like werewolves than anything else, and there is certainly no weird biology or abo aspects so. yeah. i'm mixing it up and posting it chapter by chapter, but the updates should be close together. 
> 
> (pls keep in mind that with blood magic there are lots of mentions of blood and imagery similar to self-harm.)

* * *

 

The new kid is less wolf and more dog; domesticated, eager to please, naive. Baekhyun watches him eat with a mix of fascination and disgust.

If not for the fact that he reeks of new leather and nerves, the wetness behind his ochre ears is obvious in the way he scoffs down his food, the first meal he’ll have seen in days. All wolves are starved before the night of the full moon, to rally their bloodlust before the Hunt. A small portion of rice is given to return strength, but it only leaves them hungrier for more.

“You’re going to make yourself sick,” Baekhyun says, because he can only watch this in silence for so long before he snaps. His tail twitches. 

“My name is  _ Sehun. _ Se-hun.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes, placing his untouched bowl on the floor. “And I’m not gonna get sick.” Sehun wipes his runny nose on the back of his hand. “I’ll be fine.” 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Baekhyun mumbles, while Sehun looks up at him with big puppy eyes at his bowl. When he reaches for it, Baekhyun growls, Sehun’s ears immediately flattering as he hunches into his shoulders out of submission. It’s piteous, so Baekhyun sighs and hands it over, watching Sehun scoff it down with faint disgust, chains rattling with every mouthful. Baekhyun likes the hunger, it keeps him focused, motivated, strong, and nothing tastes better than the reward of the Hunt. It’s part of what makes him a half-blood wolf. 

Baekhyun hears the gate open, and his tail sweeps over the floor as he stands, chains dragging across stone as Sehun follows suit. The den floods with the scent of anticipation and hunger as the sweet air from outside flows through the dungeons. It sings to Baekhyun, dulcet and seductive, a duet between the full moon and the forest. He licks his lips in anticipation, wiggling in place. 

Baekhyun feels his demon half claw at his chest, begging to be set free beneath the full moon, but he bides his time. He must wait for the Keepers, the King’s mages to pass him as they make their way through the den, anointing the wolves by painting their faces with blood, blessing them to purify the earth. Keeper Siwon nods at Baekhyun as he draws the lines on his face, a sign of respect he doesn’t deserve. His fingers are careful around Baekhyun’s scarred, blinded grey eye. Baekhyun doesn’t flinch.

With the ritual done, a click signals the release of their chains and the wolves go bounding out, howling and barking at the sensation of freedom. Baekhyun lingers behind, trying to calm his racing heartbeat, hunger stirring in his gut, a low simmer. His mouth waters.

“What’re you doing?” Sehun asks. “Why aren’t you leaving?”

Baekhyun arches an eyebrow at him, winding the now-unhooked chains around his forearm. “Why aren’t  _ you _ leaving?”

“Because I’m waiting for you. Obviously.” 

Baekhyun lets that sit for a few seconds. “We’re not hunting together.” He gestures between them. “I’m a lone wolf.”

“Well I can’t hunt by myself.” Sehun pouts. More puppy eyes; oh no. It appears he may have developed an attachment complex. “It’s my first time. Besides, I didn’t talk to anyone but you when I was moved here, so…” They’d moved Sehun into the den a few days ago, transferred from training --puppy school-- and he’d been chained up on the same rung as Baekhyun on the castle dungeon floor. Baekhyun wouldn’t call him a friend, but there’s a forced camaraderie that comes through sitting next to each other with nothing else to do for days. Sehun can be irksome, but his heart is in the right place. “I thought that was a given?”

Baekhyun opens his mouth to argue, but Sehun is pouting at him and he… doesn’t know how to.

“Fine,” he snaps. “But just this once.”

“Yes!!!” Sehun’s tail starts wagging, watching Baekhyun wind his chains curiously. “So why aren’t we leaving?” 

“Because only idiots rush this.” Baekhyun crouches to pick up the length of Sehun’s heavy chain attached to his wrist bracket, winding the links around his forearm. They’re dogs whose leashes have been let go of, but the leashes are still there all the same. He repeats the process on Sehun’s ankles. “It’s impossible to hunt with these loose, they make too much noise.” Sehun’s mouth opens in realisation, sheepish. “Wildlings know the sound.” He stands after doing his own ankles, then begins disrobing. Sehun blushes and looks away --the politeness is cute, if not saddening. Sehun must’ve been quite a naive pup, before he was enlisted to be a hunter. 

Baekhyun isn’t wearing anything more than rags though, a tattered shirt and torn pants, dirty from days of use and worn only to cover his unholy body while in human form. Most wolves shift as soon as possible without even considering taking off their clothes, but Baekhyun learnt that bad lesson the hard way.

“If you’re going to follow me, stay behind me at all times,” he tells Sehun. “Don’t do anything stupid, obey my lead. And remember--” Sehun watches Baekhyun with wide, nervous eyes-- “the Black Forest will do anything to keep you. Don’t be tempted.”

“Okay. Follow you, don’t be a dumbass. Got it. Anything else?” Sehun has also taken off his somewhat cleaner, more put-together clothes, muscles twitching as he longs to shift. 

“Yeah.” Baekhyun walks forward outside of the den towards the edge of the treeline, feeling the full moon on his skin. A hunger like no other settles deep in his gut, and he grins with all his teeth. “Keep up.”

He can hear Sehun’s spluttering confusion behind him, but he pays it no mind, inhaling the air outside and relishing in the hunger and freedom. Shifting comes naturally to Baekhyun, like breathing, giving into the magic in his blood and feeling his full demon form take shape. It doesn’t hurt because it feels so natural, even though wolves are taught their whole lives that it isn’t. They’re abominations of society, after all, demon half-bloods and walking sin, serving humankind to repent for the curse of their ancestors. 

As soon as he’s in wolf form Baekhyun stretches, enjoying his enhanced senses and strength. The forest calls to him louder, like this, and Baekhyun howls to sing back. 

Sehun’s wolf easily catches up, larger than Baekhyun in this form too, and an ochre brown to Baekhyun’s silvery grey. He nudges Baekhyun’s side with his snout, paws shifting from side to side as he whines, restless. Baekhyun just huffs and jerks his head in gesture for Sehun to follow. He does. 

The forest welcomes Baekhyun back with a strong breeze that whispers his return; the minute he crosses the treeline and sinks his paws into the soft earth he feels different, stronger, more alert. But humans taught them to fear the Black Forest, that its dark magic heart would seek to tempt them to stay forever, sucked into its depths and strangled. Baekhyun doesn’t know what it says about himself that he finds the gateway between Hel and Greykeep comforting.

He slows his run down to a trot, panting, which gives him time to recover and also something Sehun seems to be happy about, walking out of line as he goes to poke his nose around trees, overwhelmed by all the new sensations. Baekhyun growls at him, scolding, and Sehun’s ears immediately flatten, guiltily stepping back in line. 

The forest reeks of magic and life, the trees whisper of wolves amongst them and the flowers curl up to hide because of it. The bluegrass glows beneath the moonlight, a soft fluorescence, and small lights flit up from the ground, exhaled with each breath of the forest as the mushrooms sigh. The earth beneath Baekhyun’s feet shifts and turns in its sleep, uncaring of his presence. The forest accepts Baekhyun, always has.

He closes his eyes briefly.  _ Take me to my prey _ , he wishes, and feels the wind change, trees creaking as they sway and move, opening a path in front of Baekhyun. Sehun’s ears perk up quizzically, confused, but Baekhyun trusts in the forest to take him to his prize. 

The forest wants blood as much as Baekhyun does, after all. 

They continue along the gap between trees, and Baekhyun smells a whole array of things, rabbits sleeping under the earth, bird nests between branches, the scent of other wolves who have tracked through here earlier, hunting wildlings. The forest calls for blood to water its soil, for the rich taste of life, Baekhyun tells it to wait. 

They cover miles of the forest in a few short hours, but Baekhyun catches no wind of any wildlings. It’s partly a good sign, meaning they must’ve retreated further into the trees after the threat of wolves from the last Hunt. The King had been worried the wildlings would have made their way to Greykeep if they weren’t careful enough, which is why he sets out his wolves to make sure their city stays safe. 

What better to kill a demon, than a demon?

The magic of the forest only grows stronger the deeper they venture, and Baekhyun can feel it in the air around him, settling on his skin. Sehun barks sharply, bringing Baekhyun’s attention towards a claw gash on the tree that reeks of demon. Wildlings. 

The forest buzzes with excitement and hunger, but it’s not a fresh scent, meaning it lacks promise. Sehun whines when Baekhyun ignores the wildling’s tracks, so he rolls his eyes and indulges him, watching Sehun’s tail wag as he begins to track it, sniffing along the ground. He must catch a strong wind of it, because he bounds forward, Baekhyun struggling to catch up with the larger wolf. 

They’re hunting though, so he can’t bark without risking their prey hearing it. Baekhyun’s mouth still waters at the thought of hunting wildling, sinking his teeth into their soft flesh and tasting their blood. The forest hears his thoughts and rustles with excitement because of it, craving life. Baekhyun will deliver, he always does, that’s why the forest loves him, even though it hates when he leaves. 

They’ve strayed from the path the forest made for Baekhyun, and his instinct feels off because of it, untrusting. The wild undergrowth is a tangle of leaf litter and roots and vines, twisting and turning as they reach out. Sehun and Baekhyun are too fast for them to take purchase, but it still unnerves Baekhyun. The forest doesn’t want him to go this way.

The wind shifts again, and Sehun and Baekhyun pause in place as something hits their nose, something enticing and sweet. It smells like spring… fresh dew on flowers, a night of rain. Baekhyun’s ears perk up. 

They bound to the source instantly, only for the unsettling feeling in Baekhyun’s gut to grow larger. It feels… wrong, somehow, this scent, too sweet and too strong, and Baekhyun snaps out of it in realisation of what the source of it actually is. He barks an order at Sehun to stay back, but the wolf ignores him, bounding ahead. Baekhyun growls and sprints after him, continuing to bark. It grows harder to see as they find an area of thick mist, and it’s impossible to make out Sehun’s scent over the overwhelmingly sweet smell of rainy flowers, fogging his head. Baekhyun can barely see his own legs like this, especially with the reduced vision of his demon form. 

After stumbling blindly, calling for Sehun and getting no response, Baekhyun finally finds the place where the scent is thickest, curling around him. It’s in the mist, making it hard to think, stronger than it would be on anything natural. A light in the distance catches his eye, and he heads towards it, only to jump back when he realises what it is. Wolfsbane, glowing in the darkness, pumping the thick, heady, magical mist in hopes to ensnare its prey.

Sehun is on the other side of the shrub and its large stems with purple flowers, but Baekhyun’s sharp bark snaps him out of his trance, blinking in stupor as he realises what’s in front of him and jumps back. The flower is poisonous even to touch, and it giggles at being caught, bell-shaped flowers rustling in the breeze. Baekhyun growls at Sehun to follow him again, whose ears flatten in obedience. The flower is relatively harmless once the spell is broken, much to its disappointment, but what Baekhyun is more worried about is--

An arrow whizzes between them, landing in the ground.

That.

Immediately Baekhyun sprints out of the mist, Sehun following suit without hesitation, hearing more arrows embed in the dirt behind them. Wildlings often use wolfsbane as a trap to kill wolves before wolves can kill them, and they’ve walked right into one. 

Baekhyun can’t see the wildling in all this mist, but he can hear the arrows between them, the rustle of something pouncing through the trees. The scented fog begins to thin as they sprint further away, and Baekhyun makes out a shadow above them, chasing them through the branches. 

The forest sings for blood, but it’s hungry, and it doesn’t care whose is spilled. The earth wakes up in all the commotion, shifting around disgruntledly, and Baekhyun and Sehun stumble with it, as they reach a sudden cliff edge, cutting them off. They scramble to stop in time, claws digging into the ground, and the wildling drops down from the trees behind them. 

His demon blood manifests in the aspect of an osprey, thin brown and white feathers circling his face with long, winged arms. He wears a wildling’s war mask, carved into the shape of an osprey’s piercing gaze. His bow is drawn, Baekhyun stepping forward to growl in warning, staring down the arrow without fear. The wildling looks at him, indifferent, before he moves his bow and shoots Sehun instead.

Baekhyun doesn’t have time to think before he reacts. He jumps forward, howling in pain as the arrow pierces his side. Sehun cries out, but Baekhyun only yells at him to run, watching him hesitate before taking off as Baekhyun staggers to his feet, arrow in his side, heaving and staring down the wildling. His blood drips to the earth below, and the forest rejoices. 

Baekhyun feels dizzy and overheated, struggling to stand. The osprey stares him down.

“Stupid dog,” he mutters, muffled behind his mask. He kicks Baekhyun off the edge of the cliff.

Baekhyun falls into the hands of the river, and the water instantly wraps around him, the heaviness of his chains around each paw making it impossible to swim. He whines, bubbles of air floating above his head, but his limbs are weak and his head is light, skin stinging where it had broken the water’s surface. 

The river sings to him to let go of his breath and give in to the water, but a strong current pushes Baekhyun upwards, gasping when he’s thrust into air again. He’s sent through rapids and bashed between rocks and logs, unable to shift through all the pain and unable to do anything but submit to the river’s whim. 

  
  
  
  
  


It feels like hours that the water tortures Baekhyun before everything just. Stops. One second he’s being beaten around, the next he’s spat out onto the riverbanks, the reeds around him brushing against his wet fur to check that he’s still alive. Baekhyun hears singing, but it’s not a song of the forest. 

Woozy, Baekhyun stumbles to his feet, aching in every inch of his body and barely able to walk. He heads towards the sound all the same, entranced. Further down the river branches off and thins into a creek, where Baekhyun can make out someone singing as they rinse themselves off, cupping their palm into the water and running it over their bare arms. Beneath the moonlight they’re nothing more but a silhouette, with short pointed ears and a long thin tail flicking behind them.

It smells like rain and flowers; Baekhyun whimpers. 

Immediately the figure tenses, and the pain becomes too much for Baekhyun so he falls to the ground in a slump. His vision is going blurry --all he can register is someone touching his side above the wound and gasping. 

“You’re hurt.” There are cool hands on his forehead, brushing the fur out of his eyes. Baekhyun whines, chest heaving as he pants. He feels hot, feverish. “You need to shift or you’ll be stuck like this.”

Baekhyun can’t think straight, words drifting in and out, taking longer to process. He shakes his head, or at least tries to. The stranger strokes behind his ears with one hand and under his chin with the other. Baekhyun leans into the touch.

“You have to, come on.” Some part of Baekhyun registers the stranger is right, if he doesn’t shift back into his human form with the full moon’s magic, he’ll be stuck as a wolf, slowly succumbing to his demon blood and losing sanity until he turns into a corrupted bloodhound. The night is nearly over.

But part of him is also very aware of how much pain he’s in, and shifting back to human form is always worse than shifting into his wolf. 

“It’s okay, I’ll help you,” the stranger reassures. “I won’t let you die.”

Cool hands are soothing him through his fur, and Baekhyun knows he needs to do this before he passes out. He feels… safe, and he’s not sure why, but nothing in his head works properly right now, and all he wants is for the pain to stop.

He closes his eyes and nods, inhaling deeply before willing himself to shift. Bones crack, organs shift, skin shrinks and fur recedes, and Baekhyun cries out through it all, the pain doubling when the stranger rips the arrow out of his side.

“Fuck you,” is the first thing Baekhyun spits.

“You’re welcome,” the stranger replies, then holds up the arrow up to the moon, revealing its purple head. “This was poisoned with wolfsbane… Shit, I need to clean your wound.” 

“Don’t,” Baekhyun chokes out, even as the stranger wraps his arms around him, and lifts him with ease, moving him closer to the stream. He shivers now, though he’s so hot he’s sweating. “The river wants my breath. The forest wants my blood.”

Cat ears flick. “You can hear their song?” 

But Baekhyun can’t reply, unsure of how to make his tongue work anymore as his eyes slip shut. He feels the cool touch of water on his wound, and then the sharp sting of something being rubbed into it, a tear of cloth and the feeling of pressure. He drifts away from it all.

  
  
  
  
  


He isn’t sure how much time passes, slipping in and out of barely-there consciousness for hours, maybe days, but when Baekhyun opens his eyes again his vision isn’t blurred, and there’s sunlight streaking through the canopy and onto the leaf littered floor. 

“You’re awake,” a voice says. “Finally.”

Baekhyun jumps, startled, only to see a wildling poking at a fire beside him, roasting a few fish on speared sticks above it. There’s a pack lying beside him, with a panther mask leaning against it, a long bow with a quiver of raven-fletched arrows. Baekhyun is on guard immediately, trying to leverage himself to sit up, but his arm gives out beneath him, helpless. The wildling arches an eyebrow at Baekhyun as his long black tail flicks.

Baekhyun gulps. “Wildling,” he accuses, throat dry.

“Wolf,” the wildling replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He holds out a deerskin cask. “Drink.”

Baekhyun does, wary, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand as he looks at his body, wincing. There are strips of woven gauze wrapped around his stomach, right where the arrow pierced his wound; the cloth is blackened with blood. His bruises have already turned a light yellow, the cuts and scrapes of the river scabbed over, but his ribs still hurt. He must’ve broken a few when he fell.

“I managed to dull the poison with godswood, but it will still take longer to heal than usual.” Baekhyun watches the wildling tear into the fish with elongated canines, chewing, swallowing, staring back at him. “What?”

“Why are you helping me?” His tail flicks. “What are you going to do to me?” 

The wildling sighs again, with another eyeroll, and Baekhyun takes him all in. He’s never seen a wildling in daylight before, not beyond the walls of Greykeep and outside of chains, at least. He wears a dark red leather tunic with no sleeves and a deep v-neck, simple hide leggings with a slit cut for his tail to be freed. His bare, defined arms are covered in black ink markings across his browned skin, and a thin gold circlet sits atop his curled black hair, forged in the shape of woven vines and leaves with a green jewel swaying in the centre. Even for a wildling he radiates power and magic, and Baekhyun feels like asking why he’s being helped was a stupid choice, when he should be bowing down and begging for forgiveness instead. 

Which is a strange urge he doesn’t often get. Baekhyun gulps.

The wildling only plucks the second fish off the fire, handing it to Baekhyun, alongside a cloth pouch of berries he tugs off his belt. 

“Eat,” he commands, voice stern, and Baekhyun feels persuaded to obey, chewing on a mouthful of berries before tearing into the fish. The soft flesh melts in his mouth, and he makes a pleased noise at the taste, picking out thin bones from his fangs. The wildling’s eyes soften. “What a good dog,” he teases. “A good little puppy.” 

Baekhyun growls in warning, but the wildling only chides him with, “Uh-uh, who saved your life again?” He shuts up immediately. “That’s what I thought.”

Disgruntled, Baekhyun continues eating in silence, relishing in the taste of food, not even realising how hungry he’d been. He’d been starved for days before the hunt, after all, and without any successful prey caught, and using energy to shift, he’s even hungrier. His body feels weak, even staying sitting up is too much effort. 

He licks his lips, impatient, as he watches the wildling sort through some bags beside the campfire.

“Is there anymore?” he asks quietly. 

“They starve you, don’t they. Your owners?” Baekhyun’s ears flatten as he frowns. “You’ll hurt yourself if you eat too much.”

“They’re not my owners,” he snaps. 

“Aren’t they?” The wildling steps closer then, crouching in front of Baekhyun. He drags a finger over the silver shackles around his wrists, up his his chest slowly and tracing the outline of the leather collar over his throat. A finger hooks through the band, jerking Baekhyun’s head forward. He growls. “You look pretty owned to me.” 

Baekhyun stares into the wildling’s golden, slitted eyes for as long as possible, before tearing his gaze away, submissive. The wildling lets out a dry huff.

“See, you’re not much of a wolf, just a puppy.” The wildling stands, stretching. “And if this puppy is good maybe he’ll be rewarded with treats.” He smiles at Baekhyun, smug, his fangs poking out. Baekhyun just pulls the sleeping skin higher around himself, feeling self-conscious, suppressing a growl. He wants to put this wildling in his place, but something inside him is subdued.

“Baekhyun,” Baekhyun grumbles, the wildling turning to him, tilting his head. “My name is Baekhyun. Not  _ puppy. _ ”

“But puppy is so much cuter,” he teases, grinding some leaves between two flat stones and spitting in it to make a paste. He pulls out fresh gauze from one of the pouches at his belt, smearing the paste between it. “I need to change your dressings.”

Baekhyun obliges, slipping out of the sleep skin and raising his arms so the wildling can unwind the current gauze wrapped around it, replacing the bloodied, crusty bandage with a new one. The paste stings in contact with Baekhyun’s wound, a tear in his side that’s purpled at the edges, but he only winces, nothing more. Usually half-bloods heal much faster than humans, so the wolfsbane must have taken its toll. 

“I’m Jongdae, by the way,” the wildling offers, Baekhyun watching his hands work under his pointed black ears. “If you were wondering.”

He pins the gauze down, then looks up at Baekhyun, golden eyes and all. 

Baekhyun jerks back. Jongdae frowns at him. 

“Why are you being so…” Baekhyun tries, holding a hand against his head as it throbs. “So…”

“Nice?” 

Baekhyun swallows. “You’re a wildling,” he states. “I should kill you.”

“So that means I should kill you too, right, puppy?” Jongdae retorts, irked. “Means I’m meant to hate you as much as you hate me, even though you don’t know a single thing about me?” 

Baekhyun withers under the intensity of Jongdae’s glare, feels heat burn his cheeks.

Jongdae scoffs. “I just thought… whatever.” He wraps his arms around his middle, a surprisingly vulnerable gesture. “You’ll be good to return to your owners in a few days, but you need to rest until then, okay? I promise I don’t want to do anything with you except make sure you recover in one piece.” 

Baekhyun opens his mouth to say something, a comment that he isn’t owned, a thank you, maybe, or some sort of apology, but it all dies on his tongue. Jongdae is a wildling --a wildling who saved his life, yes, but still a wildling. He nods. Circumstance has certainly forced Baekhyun to be somewhat civil, but he doesn’t need to put in any effort past that.

“I’ll go get more food,” Jongdae tells him, picking up the bow and quiver. Baekhyun just shirks into the sleepskin, exhausted, squeezing his eyes shut with a hand over his throbbing wound. 

  
  
  
  
  


Jongdae returns at dusk dragging a deer carcass behind him, and Baekhyun startles awake at the sound of rustling leaves, relaxing when he realises it’s not a threat.

“Touchy,” Jongdae mumbles, pulling a knife from the hilt strapped to his thigh before beginning to skin the deer. The leaves on its antlers rustle as he moves it, slowly browning post death. The creatures of the Black Forest always have been bizarre. Baekhyun can’t sleep when he’s so aware of Jongdae’s movements, so instead he just watches the way he efficiently skins the deer with a certain prowess, folding the hide and setting aside to be cleaned later as he moves onto the flesh left behind. Muttering under his breath, Jongdae draws circles in the earth with his knife as he takes out the deer’s organs one by one, setting them at different points in the large circle. The blood sinks into the leaf litter with puffs of steam, and roots crawl out from the ground to wrap around each organ, pulling them into the earth. Baekhyun’s eyes widen.

“What the fuck,” he blurts.

“Hm?” Jongdae’s tail flicks curiously as he turns, ears twitching. “What? I was just making an offering.” The trees shake, a gust of wind sweeping through Jongdae’s curls happily. Jongdae turns to him. “Do humans not do that? How can you take life from the forest without giving back?” 

“Humans don’t hunt in the Black Forest.”

“But you do.” 

Baekhyun clenches his jaw. “Not the same way you hunt.”

Jongdae hums in consideration, brushing his bangs back as he tilts his chin to the sun and closes his eyes to the forest’s song. It makes Baekhyun’s head hurt, and he winces, holding his hands over his ears. His tail twitches.

“But can’t you tell how happy the forest is?” Jongdae spreads his arms out, the breeze curling around him. It giggles with the sound of wind chimes, and sings like a wolf howling. “You can hear it, can’t you? The forest’s song?” 

“...Yes,” Baekhyun answers, slowly lowering his hands as he tries to enjoy the song, rather than flinch at it. “It tried to kill me.”

He’s still a little bitter about it. 

Jongdae stares at him, then, scrutinising Baekhyun’s face. 

“Well, probably because you disrespected it.” He mutters under his breath, “Not making offerings,  _ pshh _ .” Jongdae  _ hmph _ s, hands on his hips. “The forest protects us, gives us food, water, light. It’s not something you can just bend to your will, and you can’t trust it either.” He crouches down then, scooping dirt between his palm, trickling it out slowly like sand in an hourglass. “The forest is death as much as it is life.”

Baekhyun swallows, looking at the dead leaves littered around the campsite. He suppresses a shudder. 

Jongdae stands, brushing his hands on his thighs. They’re covered in dried blood, but not his. 

“Still,” he continues, tail flicking back and forth, hypnotising. “It’s strange. I’ve never met a wolf who could hear the forest’s song.” 

Baekhyun’s ears perk up at that. He shouldn’t humour the wildling, but he owes him his life, and more than that, Baekhyun is curious. “How many wolves have you met?”

“None.” Jongdae smiles with all teeth. “But it’s not something most tieflings can do, wild or not.”

Jongdae says  _ tiefling _ so easily it makes Baekhyun’s eyes widen, glancing around even though he knows they’re alone purely out of reflex. Tiefling is a word he’d heard only as a child, whispered by his brother in old stories their grandmother used to tell them, about half-bloods who were warriors, magicians, heroes, kings. Tieflings in a world where they did not exist to repent the sins of their ancestors; but they were only children’s tales. Baekhyun knows better now. 

Surprisingly, Jongdae laughs, a bright, bubbling cackle that pulls Baekhyun from his shock.

“What?” Baekhyun dares to ask, feeling self-conscious.

“Nothing I just--” Jongdae wheezes. “The  _ look _ on your face when I said ‘tiefling’...” Baekhyun grimaces again. “Incredible. The humans have trained you well, huh puppy?” 

Anyone who dares to say the word  _ tiefling _ like it’s something to be proud of are quickly punished, so yes, Baekhyun is taught to flinch at the sound of it. It’s engraved into his bones the same way the King’s coat of arms is engraved over his heart. His hand rubs the brand at the thought. He can still feel the burn of searing iron, despite being long since healed. 

Jongdae catches the movement and his ears flick back, frowning at the marking over Baekhyun’s chest. Baekhyun shifts his shoulders, palm flat, trying to hide it. 

“You don’t like being owned, do you?”

“I’m not owned,” Baekhyun spits, then quietens. “Not like I have a choice.” 

“Of course you have a choice,” Jongdae argues. “There’s  _ always _ a choice.”

“And what choice is that?” Baekhyun growls. “Run away and be hunted to my death by my own kind and sent to the underworld to be punished for eternity? Or stay and be punished for one useless mortal life in order to deserve redemption?” 

Jongdae’s eyes widen in shock. “Spirits,” he curses. “Is that what the humans teach you?” He crouches by Baekhyun, searching his face. “That your existence is… is what? An abomination? Sacrilege?”

“We’re demons,” Baekhyun replies, pulling back even as Jongdae gets closer, uncomfortable with the proximity. He tugs the sleeping skin higher, very aware that he’s naked. “Of course our existence is a sin.”

“And who’s to say we’re demons?” Jongdae tips his head, piteous. “Why is that for humans to decide?”

“Why do you say humans like you aren’t one?” Baekhyun counters.

“Because I’m not a human.” Jongdae’s jaw clenches. “I’m a tiefling.”

“Which makes you half of one.” In his frustration Baekhyun attempts to stand, but it only backfires on him, legs crippling beneath him as a pain jolts through his stomach.

“Be careful!” Jongdae chastises, tail flicking anxiously. “You’re going to reopen the wound.”

Baekhyun grunts as Jongdae lowers him back into sitting, then peels open the gauze to check the cut, exhaling in relief as his fingers prod against Baekhyun’s skin, finding that the skin didn’t tear open. Jongdae pins the bandages back in place.

“I could’ve let you die,” he mumbles after too much silence, “I could’ve killed you myself, but I didn’t.” Jongdae’s golden eyes bore into Baekhyun. “So maybe you should wonder why a demon would save a life.” 

He leaves Baekhyun then, to go clean and treat the deer hide. Baekhyun, still in pain from trying to stand, just lies back, squeezing his eyes shut. He feels helpless and weak, completely at Jongdae’s whim if he wants to live.

He hates it.

  
  
  
  
  


According to Jongdae the next morning, it’s been two nights since the full moon, which only serves to heighten Baekhyun’s anxiety. Wolves who don’t return by dawn on the night of the full moon are cast as runaways, giving Baekhyun seven days to make his way back to Greykeep before the bloodhounds are sent out to hunt him. Even if he does manage to return with his life, he’ll still be punished for his disobedience, injury or not; he shudders. He’s not looking forward to it.

His panic is unhelped by Jongdae, who Baekhyun still doesn’t trust. While he’s done nothing but make sure Baekhyun is fed and well-rested, Baekhyun doesn’t know  _ why _ . For all he knows Jongdae could be poisoning him, healing him only to kill him at the end when he’s at full strength, how is Baekhyun to know? Wildlings are unpredictable savages, and Baekhyun has already witnessed their strange magic. Maybe he himself will become one of Jongdae’s offerings.

But Baekhyun is still too weak to walk, so he figures he'll stay on Jongdae's good side for now without letting his guard down. He'd managed to stand while Jongdae was refilling waterskins, hobbled over to nearby bushes to take a piss, but he hadn't mentioned that. It's better if Jongdae thinks he's weak, in case Baekhyun needs to use his strength for a sudden upper hand.

Attuned to waking at the slightest sound, Baekhyun spends his time flitting in and out of sleep, pretending to rest whenever Jongdae mills around the campsite. He nudges Baekhyun with the toe of his boot. 

“Eat.” A familiar command. Jongdae holds out a lump of meat in a small wooden bowl. Baekhyun obeys, tearing into the half-cooked bloody flesh and relaxing at the taste before he can stop himself. It's soaked in berries and herbs, so the deer tastes delicious. Jongdae laughs. “Cute.”

Baekhyun swallows around a snarl. “What?”

“Your tail.” When Baekhyun glances behind himself, he realises it's wagging subconsciously. He clamps a hand over it. “Tastes good, puppy?”

“...Yes.” 

Baekhyun watches Jongdae from under his bangs as he smiles to himself, walking towards Baekhyun. He finishes the last of his deer steak, licking the blood off his fingers.

“I should check your wound again,” Jongdae says, gesturing for Baekhyun to raise his arms, which he does. It's nearly sealed shut, although the skin is still purpled from the poison. “It looks pretty good. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Baekhyun answers, succinct. Jongdae hums, applying the clean bandages he'd been preparing while Baekhyun ate. The silence feels thick, but not heavy, Baekhyun obediently staying in place as Jongdae's hands move over his abdomen, cool and calloused. He swallows. “When will I be able to return to Greykeep?” 

Jongdae freezes, black cat's tail twitching once in agitation before stilling. 

“I'm not sure,” he answers coldly, pointedly staring at the bandages. “One night? Three? It's hard to tell.” 

His sudden frigid demeanour puts Baekhyun on edge. “Are you even going to let me go?”

Jongdae's head snaps up, scowling.

“What? Do you think you're just my prisoner?” He scoffs, bitter. “Heathen wildling that I am, right? Torturing you by healing your wounds and keeping you alive. How wrong of me.” Baekhyun's ears droop. “I  _ shouldn't, _ spirits know humans treat our kind like shit, but I'm better than them. I won't try to own you.”

Baekhyun growls, wanting to argue that  _ he isn't fucking owned, _ but he knows it would be pointless. Jongdae bares his fangs in response, hissing, but they're both cut off by the cry of a bird from afar, freezing Jongdae in place. 

“You need to hide,” he orders, stunning Baekhyun with the sudden severity of his voice. “ _ Now _ .”

Baekhyun scrambles to his feet, too panicked to ask what's happening, grunting in pain as his ribs and wound both ache. Jongdae makes no comment at his ability to stand, only supports him with a hand on his chest and back as he guides Baekhyun to a nearby tree, where the roots twist to form a hiding spot. He shoves Baekhyun into them, who bites his tongue as he lands, light blotted out as the roots grow overhead, the forest shielding him.

Baekhyun hears the rustling of leaves, and he wriggles around in the enclosed space, peering through a thin gap in the roots, Jongdae’s borrowed cloak wrapped tight around him, reeking of flowers and humidity. Far away, he watches a shadow drop from the trees above, landing on a stump, crouched in front of Jongdae.

Brown and white feathers cover most of the wildling's body, and he adjusts the fur cloak at his shoulders as he stands and hops down, removing his bird-shaped mask, feathered face meeting Jongdae's. 

“Kyungsoo,” Jongdae greets, “what are you doing out here?” 

“Looking for you.” Kyungsoo frowns, eyebrows creased with worry. “The Queen is concerned.”

The Queen? Wildlings have a queen?

Jongdae shrugs it off, waving his hands. The stiffness of his tail betrays his fake nonchalance. “She’s always worried about me.” He examines a nearby branch in his forced boredom. “I always come back.”

Kyungsoo snatches Jongdae’s wrist in mid-air, pulling it down and forcing Jongdae to look at him. 

“Greykeep is barely a day from here. The forest won’t protect you forever.”

“Soo, please.” Jongdae slowly unwinds his feathered fingers, causing Kyungsoo to frown harder. “The full moon is over, isn’t it? I’m fine.”

“But how are we meant to  _ know _ that when you keep running away in the middle of the night--”

A sigh from Jongdae cuts Kyungsoo off, causing a vein to pop out in his forehead from irritation. 

“Jongdeok is there, it’s not like she needs both of us…”

“That’s not the point.” Kyungsoo’s shoulders fall. “Duty or not, she cares about  _ you _ .”

His wound throbs from the curled position Baekhyun has been forced to take, and he inhales sharply as he tries to shift, lessening the pain. Dead leaves beneath him crinkle with the movement, and Kyungsoo’s head swivels immediately, peering straight at the roots where Baekhyun is hidden. It feels like the hawk eyes are staring straight at him, and Baekhyun inhales in realisation of exactly who this wildling is.

“I found one of your arrows, by the way,” Jongdae interrupts, distracting Kyungsoo from thinking any further of the noise. It’s the purple-tipped one Baekhyun’s organs had had the pleasure of hosting, fletched with white and brown feathers. Baekhyun grinds his teeth and clenches his hands into fists to suppress his anger. Kyungsoo tilts his head at the arrow in Jongdae’s hands, sharp like a bird. “And the dead wolf attached to it.”

“Hmph.” Kyungsoo takes the arrow, examining it curiously, the dried blood crusted across it. 

“I offered it to the forest, hope you don’t mind.”

He scowls. “Like stupid dogs even deserve to be offerings.” 

“Hey.” Jongdae’s expression is stern. “It was a tiefling, just like us. I wasn’t going to leave it to rot, that’s a waste of good offerings.”

Kyungsoo actually huffs out a small laugh at that, tucking the arrow back into his quiver. “I suppose you’re right.”

Jongdae grins with all his teeth. “I always am.”

“Except when you run away.” Kyungsoo pinches Jongdae’s bare arm, who yelps and pouts, rubbing at the spot. “I’ll tell Her Majesty that you're on your way back.”

“Soo…”

Kyungsoo holds up his hand, silencing Jongdae.

“Three days,” he says, three fingers splayed at the tip of his wing. “That's as long as I'll give you before you have to come home.”

His tone is definitive and commanding; Jongdae sighs and nods, relenting. Baekhyun is more bewildered than ever, confused by this different Jongdae, and his friendly interaction with the wildling that tried to take Baekhyun’s life. 

“Thank you, Kyungsoo.” Jongdae clasps his hand over the back of Kyungsoo's neck, touching their foreheads together, gently. Kyungsoo's eyes shut, and it's an odd, intimate gesture that has Baekhyun feeling voyeuristic. Kyungsoo pulls back, nodding once before leaping into the canopy. 

Jongdae exhales a long sigh, tension leaving his shoulders as his tails and ears both droop. He waits some time, watching the skyline, before treading over to Baekhyun’s hiding spot.

“You alright?” he asks, offering out a hand. Baekhyun takes it.

“Fine.” He winces as he stands, doubling over with a hand over his ribs. “Wasn’t comfortable.”

“I’ll pick out a luxury hiding spot next time.” Jongdae snorts, helping Baekhyun hobble back over to the campsite. He sighs in relief as he slips back into the sleepskin. “At least you can stand and you’re not in too much pain, that’s a good sign. It means the poison’s leaving your system.” Baekhyun swallows, expecting Jongdae to call him out, but he doesn’t. 

“Especially since you can only stay with me for three days,” Baekhyun points out, watching Jongdae tense in place.

“Ah…” He rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah.” Jongdae clears his throat, staring into the fire he’s beginning to build with determination instead of looking at Baekhyun.

Curiosity burns in the back of Baekhyun’s head --good thing it killed the cat, not the wolf.

“You pretended I was dead,” Baekhyun starts, refusing to let Jongdae escape the topic he’s desperately trying to. “Why? Who was that wildling?” 

“Kyungsoo?” Jongdae repeats, lips pouting as he thinks. “Kyungsoo is… Kyungsoo. He’s…” Jongdae pauses. “...A friend.”

“He tried to kill me.”

“I didn’t say he was  _ your _ friend.” Jongdae grins, feral, but his expression quickly turns serious again. “You try to kill us all the time. Why aren’t we allowed to fight back?” 

“Then why save me?” Baekhyun asks, confused. His head hurts trying to make sense of it all. “Why… protect me?” 

Jongdae slumps at that, and he no longer looks impossibly powerful, just impossibly tired instead. His arms cross over his middle; he seems so much smaller.

“Just because I understand the violence doesn’t mean I accept it,” he mumbles, crouching by the fire to light it with flint. He blows on the kindling gently to ignite the spark. Baekhyun remains silent. “We’re the same, aren’t we?” Jongdae eventually says, eyebrows furrowed together. “I don’t understand why we have to be at war.”

Wildlings are heathens, runaways, demons who sacrifice blood to the creatures of the underworld, agents of chaos. They cause terror upon Greykeep and threaten its citizens. Baekhyun, on the other hand? Baekhyun is a wolf, destined to hunt every last one for a chance at redemption in the afterlife. 

But here Jongdae is, saving Baekhyun, his mortal enemy, protecting him for no reason beyond believing that they are the same. 

And are they? 

“We’re different,” Baekhyun decides, after too much silence passes. “That’s why we’re at war.” 

Jongdae huffs out a dry laugh. “How so?” he counters. “We both eat, and breathe, and sleep, and piss and shit and laugh. I’m sure you have friends, family--” Baekhyun looks away-- “things you care about. Things you don’t care about…” Jongdae moves over to Baekhyun then, taking his hand. “We both have two ears and a tail.” He presses their palms against each other, mirroring their fingers. Jongdae’s hands are calloused, but small. “We both have five fingers on each hand.”

Baekhyun’s face turns hot, and he pulls his hand back, overwhelmed by the scent of flowers in the rain that floods his nose with Jongdae so close. Jongdae frowns at him.

“You’re a wildling,” Baekhyun argues. His hand burns. “You worship a forest and live in chaos.”

Jongdae scoffs. “And you worship make-believe gods and live in a prison.” He leans back on his palms, tail flicking lazily. 

“You don’t know anything about Greykeep.”

“And you don’t know anything about Hel.” Jongdae’s indifference infuriates Baekhyun. “Haven’t you ever stopped to consider that maybe that’s the problem?” 

“That’s  _ not _ the problem,” Baekhyun growls, standing. “The problem is that wildlings run around unrestrained, doing whatever they please--”

Jongdae groans. “So do humans!” 

“And they’re not part demon!” His jaw clenches. “They don’t have to bear these-- these curses--” Baekhyun tugs at his ears, his tail-- “deformities--”

“Deformities?” Jongdae quotes, incredulous. “We hear better, we smell better, we see better. We’re faster, stronger, we heal ten times quicker than any human.” He stands, searching Baekhyun’s face. “How can you call that a curse? How can you say it's demonic?” 

Baekhyun shakes his head, trying to prevent Jongdae’s voice from sticking in his head, strengthening the nodes of self-doubt that live there. He’s just temptation, temptation and sin in the body of a wildling and this is all a test by the gods to witness Baekhyun’s resolve, his loyalty.

“It’s conceited to think you’re better than humans when we share their blood,” Baekhyun says resolutely. 

“It’s conceited of them to treat you the way they do!” Jongdae shouts, a tempestuous storm to Baekhyun’s roaring ocean. His hands clench by his sides. “And it’s foolish of you to believe they’re right.”

Baekhyun’s anger builds inside him, cresting against his broken ribs. “I am not some broken, ignorant  _ thing _ that needs your pity to be fixed,” he spits. “I know what I believe. And I’d rather be kept safe in the city walls than out here.” He glances around him, at the way the trees lean in to listen, still singing for blood. Without his demon side being empowered by the moon, he just finds it eerie. “In a forest with a demon’s heart, where there are no... rules. No order.” Baekhyun inhales slowly, calming himself. “Power needs to be contained.”

“Containment lets it fester,” Jongdae counters. “Freedom lets it flourish. Has it ever occurred to you that the tieflings of Greykeep only act like demons because they’re treated like ones?” Baekhyun tenses, at a loss of how to respond. Jongdae searches his face. “No one is inherently evil, tiefling  _ or _ human. But maybe being told you are all your life forces you to be.

“You don’t deserve to be imprisoned and hated by your gods simply for being born, Baekhyun.” Jongdae stands. Baekhyun’s hand shifts, from the edge of his wound to the brand over his heart to the leather collar against his skin. The metal shackles on his wrists jingle with the movement. “Safety doesn’t guarantee freedom, and it doesn’t guarantee happiness either.”

He moves back towards the campfire at that, his back to Baekhyun, argument officially over even though Baekhyun didn’t have anything to say regardless. Baekhyun’s ears droop as he withers, lost in thought, curling beneath the sleep-skin with his tail tucked between his legs.

  
  
  
  
  


Sleep doesn’t come to Baekhyun, no matter how hard exhaustion tugs at his bones with his energy funneled into healing his wound. 

He tosses and turns, eyes drawn towards Jongdae’s sleeping figure curled by the dwindling fire. He looks so peaceful, tail twitching in his dreams, body soft. It’s the first night Baekhyun hasn’t passed out like a light before sunset, and he hadn’t even realised Jongdae had been sleeping directly on the ground until now. It makes Baekhyun feel guilty, for hogging the sleep-skin, but then… why should he care about the wellbeing of a wildling?

He rolls around, glaring at the tree trunks instead as the wind rustles, whispering nothing but nonsense. No matter how hard he tries not to, Baekhyun can’t stop thinking about Jongdae’s words, how Baekhyun can’t be called a sin just for being, how tieflings deserve to be free, how they’re one and the same, despite all their differences.

Self-indulgently, Baekhyun rolls back around, examining Jongdae’s sleeping figure. He certainly doesn’t look like the way Baekhyun had always imagined wildlings to be --feral, ravenous savages with no remorse, no morals. Monster faces hidden behind their masks. No, Jongdae smiles, he laughs, he has friends, a queen, family, he saved Baekhyun despite Baekhyun’s existence serving only to kill him, he  _ cares. _

So, why should Baekhyun care about the wellbeing of a wildling? Because… because…

Because why shouldn’t he? If Jongdae can care for Baekhyun through sheer virtue of cherishing all life, knowing they both only fight for survival, then why shouldn’t he return it? 

Baekhyun growls in the back of his throat, frustrated. His world views feel disassembled, and he’s not sure how to build them back up. That osprey wildling, Kyungsoo, tried to kill Baekhyun and is the reason he’s here, wildlings have killed hundreds of wolves just like him… and yet, how many wildlings have they killed in return, when they’re all the same blood? 

Baekhyun rolls onto his back, staring up at the sky, littered with stars, covered only by the tree branches, that peel back to let him gaze. No walls, no ceiling, no prison, just open air and freedom. 

One thing is certain; Baekhyun can’t stay here any longer.

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun slips out of the sleep-skin just as the sun peaks over the horizon, and the forest heralds a new day. He traces out the sun’s path with his eye; if he just keeps walking south, he should be able to return to Greykeep in time. 

He unfolds the sleep-skin and pulls it over Jongdae’s sleeping figure. He startles immediately, bolting upwards with a hand flying to the dagger strapped by his thigh. Baekhyun freezes in place with wide eyes. 

“What are you doing?” Jongdae snaps, eyes raking over Baekhyun’s body, naked save for the shackles around his wrist and the cloak on his shoulders. “...And where are you going?”

“Back to Greykeep,” Baekhyun answers. “I can’t stay here."

Jongdae stands, wary, the sleep-skin slipping off his body and crumpling on the ground. His eyes slowly rake down Baekhyun’s chest. “But you’re not done healing yet.” 

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I’ve been away for too long.” 

Jongdae snatches his wrist. “So what? You were going to leave? Just like that?”

Baekhyun swallows, glancing down. “I’ve burdened you enough.” Guilty, he shucks the cloak off his shoulders, holding it out. 

Jongdae’s eyes glance from Baekhyun’s hand to his face. He lets go, reluctant. “Keep it,” he says. “You’ll get cold.” 

Tentatively, Baekhyun pulls the cloak back over his shoulders. “Thank you.”

“At least let me clean your wound one last time.” 

Baekhyun hesitates before nodding, and Jongdae leads him to sit on a nearby stump as he grinds up ingredients from the pouches on his belt into a paste and unwinds the cloth strips wound around Baekhyun’s stomach. The skin is still purple and blooming, but is mostly closed over. Jongdae replaces the cloth with freshly washed strips from the river and smears them with paste before winding it back up. 

“Wolves are given seven days to return to Greykeep before they’re branded deserters,” Baekhyun mutters, watching Jongdae’s hands make quick work. “...I’m sorry.”

Jongdae’s golden eyes bore into Baekhyun’s. “Why are you sorry?” he asks, voice flat enough to make Baekhyun shiver. His cold apathy seems to cause dissonance compared to his usual fiery warmth. 

What  _ is _ he sorry for? For trying to run away without saying thank you, for burdening Jongdae with healing him when he needs to go home to Hel, for arguing with him all this time and for running back to his so-called prison? Baekhyun isn’t sure.

“I don’t know,” he admits. “It just felt like the right thing to say.”

Jongdae’s hands pauses, and then he pulls back altogether, sighing. He looks so tired, suddenly, as if the stress of caring for someone injured in the middle of a forest catches up to him all at once. Or maybe Baekhyun’s only just begun to notice. 

“Be careful going back,” Jongdae says. “Your wound is closed, but the skin is weak, and wolfsbane poisoning will take weeks to leave your system. Don’t put all my hard work to waste.”

Baekhyun nods in understanding, and then hesitates, biting his lip as he looks up at Jongdae, who avoids his gaze.

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun says, and Jongdae’s head turns almost immediately, zeroing in on him. It’s the first time Baekhyun has ever said his name. His tongue burns with unanswered questions. “Why did you save me?”

Silence passes, the wind blows through, Baekhyun stares into Jongdae’s sunshine eyes, searching his face.

“Not just anyone can hear the forest’s song,” Jongdae says, voice deep and low, barely above a mumble. “And I thought that maybe, by saving you, I would be able to… I don’t know…  _ understand _ more. And…” More silence.

“And?” Baekhyun prompts, swallowing.

“...And that maybe, by being kind to you, you would be kind to Hel’s tieflings in the future.” Jongdae’s arms wrap around his middle. “Because maybe kindness is the only way to end this war.” 

Baekhyun’s ears flatten. Jongdae may have been searching for understanding and answers, but all Baekhyun has been left with is questions and confusion. It doesn’t help that Jongdae stands before him, entirely open and vulnerable, hoping to end the violence between wolves and wildlings and rewriting everything Baekhyun thought he once knew. 

It’s hard to hate a demon when they act so fucking human. 

Baekhyun doesn’t think kindness is enough, but as much as his body wants to argue with Jongdae about it, he doesn’t. It may not be a solution, but it’s a start. 

“Thank you,” Baekhyun says honestly. 

Jongdae arches an eyebrow. “For what?”

_ For saving me, for teaching me _ .

“For everything,” Baekhyun answers. “I…”

“I hope our paths cross again,” Jongdae interjects, surprising Baekhyun. 

He softens. “Maybe in a future with a lot more kindness.”

Jongdae smiles at that, genuine and bright and filled with so much warmth Baekhyun  _ burns. _

“Maybe,” Jongdae agrees, mouth still curved. “Goodbye Baekhyun. Safe travels. May the forest be merciful. May it guide you home..”

Baekhyun nods, pulling Jongdae’s cloak tighter against his body, and turns around before he can almost say that Greykeep is far from a home, and stay with Jongdae any longer than necessary. He only has two days before he’s condemned to death as a traitor, after all. 

Besides, if Greykeep isn’t home, then what is?


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

 

Baekhyun walks for hours, until his bare feet are blistered and the shackles around his wrists and ankles weigh him down, lost in thought as the forest parts for him, guiding him back to Greykeep. 

The sun has set when he makes it to the edge of the forest, parched and starving and filled with nauseating anxiety. A wolf straying from Greykeep will always be punished regardless of reason, and Baekhyun has travelled back accepting this fate. Just before leaving the treeline, he discards the cloak from his shoulders and peels off his bandages, burying them beneath the earth to be forgotten.

The guards at the first watchtower to spot him force him to his knees, Baekhyun whimpering as he holds out his shackles. His wound throbs.

They drag him back to the den, thrown into the empty cell to await the judgement of the Keepers. After the full moon, wolves are allowed to return to their homes, to their packs, and to their jobs within Greykeep, which usually entails training and guard work, save for the three days until the full moon, where the Keepers starve them in the den in preparation for the Hunt. All wolves belong to the King, after all, he just rents them out for more gold.

Baekhyun is left in the den for hours, dehydrated and starving, until a Keeper finally comes. It’s Siwon, one of the Grand Keepers; he crouches in front of the iron bars.

“Baekhyun,” he says. “You came back.”

Baekhyun scrambles upright to kneel, hanging his head down with his tail low, not daring to look Siwon in the eye. “I was injured,” he explains. “Poisoned with wolfsbane by a wildling.”

“I can see that.” At the mention, Baekhyun’s hand flies to his wound, tracing over the purple ridges. Siwon sighs. “I know you’re a good hunter, Baekhyun, loyal, too, but you understand you have to be punished, don’t you?” 

Baekhyun tenses at the mention of being loyal, thinking about how many opportunities he’d had to kill Jongdae, over the last few days, and how he hadn’t even considered the thought until now.

“Yes,” Baekhyun says, “I do.” 

“Good.” Siwon stands. “The gods will forgive you this way, Baekhyun, I’m sure of it.”

He leaves, and takes the torch’s light with him. Baekhyun just curls up with a pathetic whimper. He doesn’t think the twelve gods will ever forgive the sins Baekhyun has made, letting a heathen live --even  _ trusting _ him-- and letting his blasphemous, sinful words sink into Baekhyun’s mind and take root there, festering doubt.

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun awaits his punishment for days, kept in the empty den in darkness with nothing but a wooden cup of water given to him at what he assumes is morning and night, slipped between the metal bars. It takes a while until Baekhyun realises that this  _ is _ his punishment, and he loses track of time, the shadows moving in the corners of his eyes and his body feverish as it tries to purge the wolfsbane out with no source of energy to aid it. 

With nothing to pass the time, Baekhyun’s mind wanders in aimless thoughts, reliving the past few days over and over again, letting Jongdae’s words carve into his skin almost at spite to the gods for putting him here.

He’s not sure how long it is until he sees torchlight again, and Siwon is opening the bars, detaching his chains from the hooks on the den floor. 

“Your punishment is over,” he announces. “Do you repent?” 

Repent what? Baekhyun wonders. Getting injured beyond his control and being too sick and hurt to crawl back to Greykeep on his hands and knees? Punishment hadn’t made him  _ repent _ , instead it had turned the guilt inside him into anger; anger against the keepers, against the gods.

He grits his teeth, smothering the bitterness. Such an uncouth temper is unseemly. 

“Yes.” Baekhyun’s voice cracks when he speaks, completely unused and dried out from constant dehydration. “I live only to serve the heavens.”

“Good.” Siwon holds the cell door open. “The next full moon is in two weeks. Don’t disappoint us again.” 

Baekhyun prostrates himself before scrambling away, stepping into the sunlight and flinching. The den is kept towards the edge of Greykeep, and leaves him by the city outskirts in the half-blood district, surrounded by sewerage lines and half-bloods on the streets avoiding eye-contact. Wolves are feared even amongst their own kind, known for their strength and their bloodlust. Siwon’s shining carriage stands out as a gleaming piece of art in an area of decay and poverty; wheeled through the streets by his owl half-blood driver. Baekhyun waits until he’s nothing but a speck in the distance before rushing through the streets.

Baekbeom won’t be home during the day, so Baekhyun is quick to dash home to bathe and change, eating a bowl of rice and trying not to regurgitate most of it between mouthfuls of water. He heads towards the human districts deeper into the city, where the houses turn from wooden shacks to marble towers and stone mansions. The family Baekbeom works for is by no means rich, not compared to the others, but they’re still humans.

Soonkyu looks surprised to see Baekhyun when she answers the back door where food is delivered. “Baekbeom is in the kitchen,” she says, and steps aside to let Baekhyun through, who paces through immediately with a quick thanks to find his brother.

He’s kneeling by the fire, stirring a pot with slow motions. He whistles as he cooks, scratching at his torn dhole ear, a fault of Baekhyun’s from when they were young and play-wrestling, having torn into it with his wolf canines without knowing his own strength. 

“Baekbeom,” Baekhyun calls. His voice cracks.

“Baekhyunnie?” Baekbeom stands and turns immediately, relief coating his expression before he engulfs Baekhyun in a bone-crushing hug. “You’re alive… You’re okay… When you didn’t come back from the Hunt I thought--”

“I was injured,” Baekhyun says, lifting up his shirt to show the purple wound. Baekbeom’s eyes widen. “And then--”

“Then you were punished,” Baekbeom finishes, because he knows Baekhyun’s fate all too well, used to the treatment of wolves. Baekhyun nods. His brother cups his face, searching it with concern. “What did they do to you?” 

Baekhyun steps back, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he says with finality. “I’m sorry to worry you.”

Baekbeom smiles at that, sad. “It’s not your fault,” he reassures. “But that wound... that was wolfsbane, wasn’t it? How did you survive?” 

Baekhyun licks his lips quickly, glancing around. There are only a few other half-bloods in the kitchen, one preparing tea while another chops ingredients, but he knows their hearing is sharp.

“Not here,” Baekhyun whispers, low, and instead asks his brother how he’s passed the time over the last few weeks.

“Mostly grieving for you,” Baekbeom answers. “Not that the Keepers would ever tell me what happened to you, but I had a feeling you weren’t someone to die so easily.” Baekhyun turns warm at the praise, keeping his face down to hide it. “And working, of course. Master was kind enough to give me a day or two to collect myself, but the house needed its kitchenhand.”

Baekhyun nods in understanding, though his mind drifts, surprisingly, to Jongdae. The Kim household Baekbeom works for are some of the most lenient humans Baekhyun has ever met, but they’re still humans, and Baekbeom is still a half-blood --even when he thought his brother could be dead, he was expected to work. Like a prisoner, like a slave.

Baekhyun shakes his head to get rid of the thoughts, focusing on the way Baekbeom stirs the pot and talks meaningless about household drama he barely understands. They are half-bloods, Baekhyun reasons with himself, condemned to a life of servitude to prove their loyalties to the gods in order to reach heaven. They’re not prisoners, they’re living their predetermined fate.

And yet. It still just  _ bothers _ him.

Maybe Baekhyun’s beginning to understand why he’s lived his whole life hunting wildlings, if they can cause as much disorder as this. 

Baekbeom’s duties finish late into the night, but then he’s free to go back to the half-blood district and cook even more for himself and Baekhyun, whose tail wags in excitement as he sits down and smells it. 

“So,” Baekbeom prompts as he dumps a bowl of rice and curried meat in front of Baekhyun, a small serving that he digs into with excitement. “Want to tell me how you survived a poisoned arrow to the stomach?” 

Baekhyun’s hand flies to the wound in question, still tender. He swallows.

“A… a wildling saved me.”

Baekbeom drops his chopsticks.

“ _ What _ .”

“A wildling saved me,” Baekhyun repeats. “He healed my wound and--”

“Are you crazy?” Baekbeom interjects, causing Baekhyun to frown. “Wildlings don’t  _ save _ wolves, they hate you! Did the wolfsbane poison your mind, too?”

Maybe, Baekhyun wonders, because how else could he reason the fact that he wants to ask Baekbeom why it is exactly they hate wildlings so much, for no reason other than being different. If -- _ if _ \-- their choices condemn them to to eternal punishment… then so be it. The people of Greykeep are not gods who get to decide otherwise, and yet… they still fight. 

Then again, he supposes, the people may not be gods, but the King certainly is.

“I’m not making it up.” Baekhyun grunts. “Why would I lie?”

“I don’t know? Because you’re crazy? Some terrible idea of a joke?” Baekhyun rolls his eyes; his brother always has been a little dramatic. “Wildlings  _ kill _ wolves Baekhyun, no matter the cost.” Baekhyun looks away, covering the scar over his eye as the wound in his stomach throbs. 

“We’re not that different,” Baekhyun mutters, voice gaining strength as he looks up at his brother, holding his chin high. “Wildlings are tieflings just like us.”

Baekbeom is ashen. “What did you just say?”

“I--” Baekhyun stammers. “--I didn’t--”

“Is this why the wildling helped you?” Baekbeom asks. “To recruit you by poisoning your mind with nonsense? Have you abandoned the gods now?”

“ _ No _ ,” Baekhyun is quick to argue. “No, I haven’t, it’s just--” He cuts off, biting his tongue. “--Nothing. It’s nothing.” He shakes his head quickly, then stands, picking up his empty bowl. “I’m tired, I don’t know what I’m saying.” Baekhyun traces over the purple wound. “You’re right, the wildling must’ve saved me to poison me, to tempt me…” 

It’s the only explanation, isn’t it?

“Baekhyun,” Baekbeom says gravely, just as Baekhyun is turning to wash his bowl in the basin. “Once you were healed you killed the wildling, right? You did your duty?”

Baekhyun doesn’t answer. 

  
  
  
  
  


They don’t speak of the wildling --of  _ Jongdae _ \-- ever again. It’s treated like taboo; Baekbeom helps Baekhyun clean and dress his wound, make sure it isn’t reopening or the poison isn’t acting out each morning before they both go to work, but they never talk about it. Baekhyun doesn’t blame him; he isn’t sure how many times he’s come home after a Hunt to a frantic Baekbeom, taking care of his wounds and scolding him for getting in so much danger. 

Their grandmother died before Baekhyun was old enough to shift, and their logger father was killed by a fallen tree, leaving Baekhyun in Baekbeom’s care his whole childhood. Baekbeom’s mother had died before Baekhyun was born, and Baekbeom never speaks of Baekhyun’s mother --he hadn’t known anything about her, only that their father had returned from the forest one day with a baby in his arms, and Baekbeom had known in that moment that he had a brother. 

Wildlings are to blame for many of Baekhyun’s injuries, the death of other wolves and of Keepers. They’re soldiers of the demon forest, trying to stop the King from expanding Greykeep’s territory and keeping the forest’s magic under control, attempting to taint Greykeep’s peaceful ways with black magic.

It’s war, and yet Baekhyun can’t bring himself to hold it against them, when Baekhyun himself has killed tens, if not hundreds of wildlings. It hadn’t bothered him until Jongdae, with all his warm smiles and warmer kindness, no mask to hide his face. As frustrating as he had been, calling Baekhyun  _ puppy _ and arguing with him more than anything else, he’d still saved Baekhyun, protected him, set him free. It makes him hard to hate, and makes Baekhyun wonder if Jongdae is the exception to all wildlings, or the rule. 

When he’d been with Jongdae, all Baekhyun had wanted was to get away. Now, with time to process and think between boring patrols and training spars with a yapping Sehun glad to see him alive, all he does is think about Jongdae, trying to make  _ sense _ of it all. He’s forced to look at the life of his people in the slums of Greykeep, serving the higher humans above them and think:  _ why?  _ Why  _ is _ being born one thing --something entirely beyond their control-- held against them? 

Baekhyun just needs… something. Something to help draw all the lines and mark out the similarities and differences, to make sense of the mess inside his head. He knows Jongdae is temptation and sin, a test from the gods, but he can’t stop himself from feeling his curiosity burn, growing brighter with each passing day. 

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun is used to spending the starvation and captivity of the days leading up to the full moon sleeping, but this time he just spends it thinking, staring into the darkness and wondering if it’s stupid to feel so much… anticipation, as if Jongdae will be in the forest too. As if he  _ wants _ to see him.

Ridiculous.

Sehun keeps giving Baekhyun kicked puppy looks from across the den as they eat their only meal before the Hunt. He’d taken Baekhyun’s continuous silence as a sign to stay away, but he still seems hurt by it. Baekhyun tries not to feel too guilty, because tonight is something he wants to do alone.

The routine is familiar. The den gate to outside Greykeep opens, the Keepers anoint them with blessing of blood, the wolves go bounding out. Baekhyun at least sees Sehun stop to wind up his chains and smiles a little, quick to get rid of it when Sehun glances over his shoulder, giving Baekhyun a lingering look before shifting and bounding forward. 

Baekhyun takes even longer than usual, lost in thought as he takes off his clothes and winds up his chains. The forest sings for him to come  _ home _ , which only curls in his stomach uncomfortably, making Baekhyun even more confused. 

His wound --well, scar now-- throbs once when he shifts, but other than that it’s as painless and natural as always. The mark on his stomach is nothing but a purple spread of lightning-shaped scars no thanks to half-blood healing abilities, and Baekhyun is glad the movement of skin, bone and muscle hadn’t affected it badly after shifting. 

The thrum of magic hits Baekhyun as soon as he steps into the forest, unnerved only by how much it relaxes him. This is the home of Hel, of the wildlings, and yet Baekhyun feels more comforted by it than anywhere else in Greykeep, even as it sings for blood. Lost in thought, Baekhyun aimlessly wanders amongst the trees, feeling no bloodlust or urge to hunt --on the contrary, hurting wildlings in Baekhyun’s mind, has somehow been replaced with the image of hurting Jongdae, and it just doesn’t seem right. If Jongdae could extend kindness and spare Baekhyun, why can’t Baekhyun do the same?

After all, it’s the only way to stop this war, right? 

It causes great conflict within Baekhyun, torn between the demon wolf that seeks to fill his duty, and the human that can’t stop thinking about the feeling of Jongdae’s hand against his, wondering where the differences between them are meant to lie. Murder is a sin, but not worshipping the gods and the King, the will of heaven, is also a sin, and Baekhyun isn’t sure where the line is drawn --can one justify the other? 

The forest sings for blood, for the Hunt, and Baekhyun pays it no mind even as it shifts and bends around him with the creaking of wood, forming a path and leading Baekhyun deeper inside, trying to ensnare him forever. Part of him, ever-so-secretly, filled with shame, wishes it would lead him to Jongdae again.

But it doesn’t. 

  
  
  
  
  


Returning from the Hunt, Baekhyun is assaulted with the stench of the other wolves, their maws coated in blood. The smell makes him sick, and it makes him hungry --which only makes him sicker. The Keepers praise them at the gates for yet another successful Hunt as the sun peaks over the horizon, and Baekhyun thinks about the feeling of Jongdae’s hand against his, and his perception of the Hunt shifts. They’re all tieflings, after all, and the Keepers have them cannibalise their own kind for personal gain.

It makes Baekhyun want to puke.

And he does, eventually, once his chains are removed by the Keepers and he’s set back free into the slums, throwing up into one of the sewer canals. His stomach is empty, however, and he throws up nothing but acid and bile. He can no longer see the masked wildlings for the animals their demon blood makes them, only the people underneath. People Baekhyun have killed.

It festers like a diseased wound as time passes, and instead of Jongdae’s presence in Baekhyun’s mind lessening like he’d once hoped, it becomes constant. All it takes is one light ignited to notice all the shadows, and Baekhyun always feels like he’s being torn in two. He attends a temple service and listens to the monk’s words about how the gods will cleanse their souls so long as they stay faithful and he thinks,  _ why. _ Baekbeom gives the gods offerings thanking them for the meal he made himself and Baekhyun thinks,  _ why. _ The Keepers assign him patrol along the city’s walls at day because it’s his duty to his people as a wolf to work unrewarded and...  _ why. _

He’s accepted so much of this all his life, yet Jongdae’s voice rings in the back of his head. 

_ You don’t deserve to be imprisoned and hated by your gods simply for being born, Baekhyun. _

What great sins has Baekhyun committed, beyond existing? Why must he wait for the afterlife for redemption, when so much of him is wasted away, mindlessly sitting atop Greykeep’s watchtowers, gazing out at the forest as it sings for him to return. Jongdae had said it, hadn’t he? Half-bloods are faster, stronger, with sharper senses, why push them to the bottom of the heap when they could do so much more than guard streets and clean houses?

It all comes back to that:  _ why. _ As Baekhyun turns his head from the black forest, he gazes over the clustered houses of Greykeep instead. What had once appeared to be a beautiful city of stone and steel now looks no different to the den he’s chained in before the Hunt. Where Baekhyun once saw beauty, he now only sees bruises.

It pulls him apart. He keeps… disobeying his religion, his beliefs, his  _ gods _ , in the little moments, like a test, waiting for some divine hand to strike, some unbecoming bad luck to ruin his life or ill-fortune to fall. It never does. Baekhyun has lived his whole life afraid of some holier power, and now he’s no longer sure if he cares. 

Which is bad, and he punishes himself for weeks after that, praying for forgiveness, begging for it. The next full moon approaches, after all, and with it, the Hunt… All Baekhyun seeks is answers to the questions in his head, alleviation from the doubt, and mercy, because as the shadows in his head grow, so does the temptation.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The Hunt had once been all Baekhyun had to look forward to in a life of dull monotony, now, he dreads it.

Which is funny, because Baekhyun has begun to understand  _ why _ he craves the feeling of magic beneath his feet and the wind singing to him, and that’s what terrifies him most.

“Can I hunt with you again or are you still mad at me?”

Baekhyun rolls his head to look at Sehun leaning against the den wall beside him, trying to scratch beneath his shackles and failing. The starvation of the hunt is meant to unleash the wolf within them, and the chains keep them bound, their power contained. Baekhyun just sees it as yet another form of imprisonment, now, because they have to carry them out into the forest to remember they’ll never be free.

“Last time I hunted with you I nearly died,” Baekhyun says flatly.

“Yeah and last time you hunted you didn’t hunt at all.” Baekhyun stiffens, though he keeps his expression calm. 

“I didn’t come across a wildling. It’s not rare.”

“No, but Keeper Siwon told me you’re the best of the best.” Baekhyun swallows, even as Sehun nudges him petulantly, his chains rattling. “Maybe you could use someone to help you out.”

“A wolf who’s never been on more than two Hunts can’t help.” Sehun’s ears flatten as he frowns. “I don’t need you holding me back.” Sehun looks even more dejected at that. “You’ll learn better with them--” Baekhyun jerks his chin towards the other wolves, clustered together in their packs-- “than with me. I hunt alone.”

Sehun breathes out a frustrated sigh through his nose. “Being alone isn’t always the answer, you know,” he says snidely. “Not everything can be done by one person.” 

Sehun is chained up on the same rung, so he can’t exactly leave, but he does stubbornly turn his back to Baekhyun and face away. It makes Baekhyun smile, for a moment --it’s cute.

As the nights pass and Baekhyun grows hungrier, his apprehension grows with it. The forest’s song grows too loud to block out, and it sings a haunting melody that hungers for blood Baekhyun refuses to spill. 

Once the full moon rises and their chains are released, the ceremony completed, Baekhyun watches the other wolves bound out as his stomach churns. How many wildlings will they find in the forest, and how many of them will they kill?

The forest welcomes Baekhyun home and he ignores it, watching it creak and shift as it leads him deeper inside. How is Baekhyun meant to hunt, when all he can think is: who is he to take away a living person’s freedom? Yet at the same time, he’s starved, and blood-hungry, conditioned to associate the forest with warmth and  _ satisfaction _ . The demon inside him fights with the human on the surface, and Baekhyun is afraid of who will win. 

His stomach growls with hunger, and almost as if on cue the wind curls around him enticingly, bringing with it the scent of something sweet, like a rainy spring day.  Saliva drips down his fangs in an instinctive response; Baekhyun hates himself for it. He starts following it, mindless with hunger. Baekhyun tries to stop the redirection of his feet, but it’s too hard. He’s just so hungry.

It’s only when the smell begins to mingle with something else, something sicker and dirtier that his hunger is disturbed and he’s pulled to his senses.

Other wolves. 

Baekhyun doesn’t even think twice, his guilty conscious springing to action before he can stop it. It’s a split second decision; the demon inside him is replaced with human, and Baekhyun knows what he has to do. 

_ Take me to him _ , he tells the forest. 

_ What will you give us in return? _

Baekhyun falters. He’s never had the forest question him like this, used to it only ever singing for blood. Then again, maybe it senses the way Baekhyun’s bloodlust has been replaced with nothing but anxiety and guilt.

_ I’ll give you blood _ , he promises it,  _ just not his _ .

Wordlessly, wood creaks as the trees part, and Baekhyun sprints through the path laid out for him without hesitation, worried the forest will turn on him at any moment. He runs for what feels like years, on edge --time trickles slowly in his fear and panic and guilt, magic thrumming through his veins. He waits for any sign of life be it wildling or wolf, and any attempt by the forest to keep him there. 

It never comes. 

Both scents grow thicker as he tracks their path, constantly doubling back and relooping over old tracks, trying to make sense of which directions the wildling had gone in to outsmart the wolves. They do have their tricks, after all, making false pathways that loop around while scurrying into the canopies, or whispering to the forest with their strange magic to rearrange the path. 

But Baekhyun is  _ smart _ , one of the best wolves in all of Greykeep, the strongest hunter, and he knows their tricks too well. It helps to have the forest on his side, too --or at least, partially on his side. He doesn’t let himself double back or get confused by the fake paths laid out in misleading scratches and pawprints, only follows the smell and the hunger, the song of the wind that guides the way.

The other wolves, the pack hunting this wildling, Baekhyun can smell them falling for the traps, getting lost when the scent disappears up into the canopies. He’s overtaken them now, but they can’t be too far behind --it’s only a matter of time until they track the wildling down completely. 

The smell of flowers in the morning rain grows strong enough to make Baekhyun dizzy. His running finally slows to a trot as he pants, sure he must be near the wildling but unable to tell where. He lies down onto his belly, head low, waiting and watching and listening for any signs of life.

A twig snaps, and Baekhyun swivels, met only with a blurry shadow pouncing at him from above and knocking him sideways across the forest floor. He howls in pain as the rocks and sticks scrape his side, skidding through the underbrush. The panther leopard wildling roars, a chilling, deep growl that’s so powerful Baekhyun doesn’t dare rise, instead flattening his ears and rolling pathetically over onto his stomach, eyes down, hoping to seem nonthreatening. 

Baekhyun whimpers as the wildling continues to bare its fangs, closing his eyes and bracing himself for the next blow. It never comes. It just. Stops. Sitting back, tail flicking. The black fur of a panther recedes, leaving a crouching, naked half-blood in its place, save for the golden earrings, arm cuff, and circlet. 

“Baekhyun?” Jongdae blurts. 

Slowly, seeing the apprehension and wariness in Jongdae’s body, Baekhyun sits up and shifts.

“Jongdae,” he breathes out.

Jongdae searches his face. “What’re you doing here?” he asks. 

“Looking for you.” Baekhyun stands. His wolf stirs; Jongdae really smells so good, and with the full moon boiling his demon blood, it makes Baekhyun so  _ hungry.  _ “You’re being hunted.”

“I know that.” Jongdae scoffs. “I’ve been trying to throw them off all night.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “They’re close. There’s too many of them. They’re starting to see through your tricks.”

“The same way you did?” 

“I’m better than them,” Baekhyun states clearly. “And I can listen to the forest.” Howls sound in the distance, too close for comfort. “We need to leave. Now.” 

“Are you sick?” Jongdae blurts. 

“What?” Baekhyun snaps. “Why would you think that?” 

“You’re not calling me a heathen that nurtures chaos, blah blah blah.” Baekhyun frowns. “I’m surprised. I figured the next time we’d meet you’d at least try a little harder to kill me.” 

“Why would I want to hurt you?” Baekhyun asks, confused. His tail droops. “You saved me.” 

A line leaves Jongdae’s shoulders, and he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Right,” he says, “of course.” Jongdae sighs, leaping up to a nearby branch and landing crouched with one palm against it, the perfect silhouette of a predator in the night. “As much as I appreciate the help, puppy, I have it under control.”

Baekhyun’s eyes rake over Jongdae’s body before he can stop himself. Underneath the moonlight, Jongdae is sun-kissed and lithe, narrow and small but like a tightly coiled spring he’s ready to pounce and explode with force at any moment. His chest, arms, and legs are all covered in black ink tattoos. Baekhyun turns warm and tears his eyes away. 

“A whole pack is hunting you, you don’t stand a chance.” Then again, looking at Jongdae’s sheer power, Baekhyun isn’t sure if that’s true. 

“It’s only three wolves. I can take care of myself.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “There’s six. They split into two groups to close you in from two sides.” It’s a neat trick as far as hunting goes; one half of the pack follows the trail, while the other runs ahead to gain distance. Howls help communicate their location, make the wildling think the pack is farther than they actually are, push them to run in a certain direction, and then the other half can cut their prey off by sandwiching them in. Baekhyun never cared for pack hunting, but it has its merits. Besides, he’d know Taeyeon’s scent anywhere, knows her tricks --Baekhyun may be a better tracker, but her hunts are unparalleled. He once respected her skill; now it only strikes terror in his heart. 

Jongdae’s huffs a laugh beneath his breath. “Shit,” he mutters. “What do you suggest then?” 

“Ask the forest to protect you.”

“I can’t.” Jongdae shakes his head. “I have nothing to offer it in return.” His smile is self-deprecating. “Should I pray to your gods instead?”

“They won’t help you.” Not out here. There are no gods inside the Black Forest --or at least, that’s what Baekhyun had always been taught. Another howl sounds. “Follow me.” He turns. “We can run North.”

“What?” Jongdae narrows his eyes, leaping down. “Why should I trust you? How do I know you’re not just leading me into a different trap?”

“I have no reason to hurt you,” Baekhyun tries, holding his palm out, fingers splayed. “We’re the same, aren’t we?” 

Jongdae looks conflicted, but the wolves will be close by now, and they have no time to waste. Baekhyun tugs Jongdae forward by his wrist, running, and shifts mid-sprint. Jongdae follows suit, giving Baekhyun no time to admire the lithe regality of his demon panther form, merely watching the cat’s muscles shift as he bounds alongside Baekhyun. He stops, occasionally, to mark the trail behind Jongdae, confusing him, but Baekhyun merely urges him forward with a nudge of his snout and a huff of breath. Jongdae’s golden eyes search Baekhyun’s before he continues forward, Baekhyun trailing behind.

A howl sounds, barely a few strides away. They look at each other, Baekhyun urging Jongdae onwards as he remains behind. He’d forgotten to tell Jongdae to hide in the canopies, but all he can do is hope Jongdae is smart enough to do that on his own as he disappears into the shadows ahead.

“Baekhyun,” Taeyeon calls, and Baekhyun freezes in place, turning. “I never thought you one to steal prey.”

She looks powerful beneath the full moon, her face still painted with the blood of the ceremony, brown leather collar at her throat. Even though she’s small, she reeks of magic. Baekhyun respectfully keeps his eyes down as he shifts to meet her.

“I tracked this one all of the last moon,” he lies. “It was already mine.” 

“A wildling escaping you?” Taeyeon smiles. “No wonder you hold a grudge.”

Two wolves come from the shadows to stand behind her --a brown wolf, Seohyun, and a red ochre wolf.

Sehun.

Baekhyun inhales slowly, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. He’s almost afraid they’ll be able to hear it. “It’s known to happen. I was injured then, but I’m healed now.” 

He’s careful to hold Taeyeon’s gaze, assert his dominance in the situation. Two wolves Baekhyun could fight,  _ maybe _ , but three? And Sehun of all of them… he may be barely older than a child, but he still towers over Baekhyun in comparison.  Squabbles over prey when they’re so hungry aren’t uncommon, but he’s trusting Taeyeon to be smarter than that. She won’t want her pack hurt, and Baekhyun knows their respect goes two ways.

Minutes pass before she finally laughs and looks away.

“Fine,” she relents. “But don’t fail your brothers and sisters, Baekhyun. You’ve deprived us of blood tonight, but next time we won’t be so generous.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Baekhyun assures. He’ll lock Jongdae up in Hel himself if he has to. “My prey won’t be escaping me again.”

“So you say--” Taeyeon’s eyes drop to Baekhyun’s bare stomach, the purple scar across it-- “But your wound looks like it still has healing to do.” She smiles. “You should finish your hunt, Baekhyun. Dawn will come soon, and you don’t want the wildling to escape again.” 

Expressing gratitude would only be showing weakness, so Baekhyun doesn’t do much more than incline his head, watching with careful eyes as Taeyeon shifts and howls to signal the other half of her pack to fall back. The resounding cries are confused, but obedient all the same. Sehun gives Baekhyun one last confused look before slipping into the shadows to rejoin the rest of the pack. 

Baekhyun slumps with relief, an audible groan passing his lips. He shifts to track Jongdae a short distance away in a nearby clearing.

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun calls. “It’s safe.” 

A shadow drops from the trees, and Jongdae is human again. “What did you do?”

“I marked your trail as mine,” Baekhyun explains. “Got them to back off.” 

“And?” Jongdae prompts. “Are you going to complete your hunt now?”

Baekhyun is confused by his words, until he sees the apprehension on Jongdae’s face. He shakes his head.

“No,” he says. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Jongdae finally relaxes, softening, the hard line leaving his body. His coiled power withers, somewhat, as he walks forward aimlessly, but Baekhyun can still sense it lying beneath the surface as he follows without a second thought. Jongdae is a bow with an arrow knocked against it, but not pulled taut --still a weapon all the same.

“You were an idiot to be so close to Greykeep,” Baekhyun warns.

“Maybe so, puppy, but I like to live life dangerously.” Jongdae gives a smug smile over his shoulder that just turns Baekhyun even warmer. He doesn’t know why his body is reacting to Jongdae the way it is, but he does know that he hates it. “A full moon is kind of a big deal in Hel, and I don’t care much for the celebrations. Close to Greykeep is the only part of the forest I know no one will find me.”

“But there are wildlings here,” Baekhyun points out.

“Only sentinels, trying to guard the forest.” Jongdae gives a lopsided smile. “And a lot less than there are near Hel, none with the intention of looking for me.” 

“Except Kyungsoo.” 

“Not a sentinel,” Jongdae explains. “But definitely with the intention of looking for me. Unfortunately you crossed his path.” His eyes drops to Baekhyun’s stomach with its purple scar. Baekhyun covers it, self-conscious. The shackles on his wrist jingle with the movement. 

“So this was your fault,” Baekhyun states, tracing over the scar. 

Jongdae scoffs in disbelief, crossing his arms over his chest. “Wow, don’t forget who healed that wound. Puppy’s a lot braver when he can stand on two legs all on his own, huh?”

Baekhyun’s ears and tail droop, affronted and submissive. A genuine smile appears on Jongdae’s face, but it’s gone as fast as it had arrived.

“I-- I didn’t mean it like that…” Baekhyun tries to defend, hunching his shoulders. “Just… you must be important, if people are looking for you.” 

Jongdae softens, and he looks so sad with genuine pity. Baekhyun regrets his words, if only for putting that expression on Jongdae’s face --it seems unnatural. His curved mouth is designed to remain upturned. 

“All life is important to us, Baekhyun,” Jongdae consoles. “Every tiefling, every animal, every blade of grass. It’s why we make offerings,” he explains, “it’s expressing gratitude to the animal that gave its life for ours, and to the forest for feeding us. By giving it back, more life can be made from death.”

It’s not all that different from making offerings to the gods, Baekhyun realises, giving food and burning incense --except that the forest actually takes its offerings. Baekhyun has never seen a sacrificial offering be anything except untouched. 

Then again, that’s the whole point. It’s not about giving to the gods --they’re the gods, they have everything they need-- it’s about making a sacrifice of material worth to prove your devotion. 

Baekhyun feels dizzy.

“Something tells me your King would disagree.”

“What?” Baekhyun jolts out of his thoughts. “No he wouldn’t. Life is sacred to us, too.” 

Jongdae’s eyebrows raise, shifting his circlet. “Is that why you’re treated differently? Is that why you kill wildlings?”

“You kill us too,” Baekhyun argues, and something in Jongdae deflates. “And don’t pretend that that’s making life from death.”

Surprisingly, Jongdae smiles, huffing out a little laugh.

“Always arguing… now that’s the puppy I know.” His smile stretches wider, like he’s enjoying this. It, like most smiles on Jongdae’s face, however, fades quickly. Baekhyun wonders what it would take to make it stay. 

“Why are you here, Baekhyun?” He pauses. “Why did you save me? Considering the last time you ran away as soon as you could, I’m not sure what to expect from you.” Jongdae’s golden eyes are piercing, and it makes Baekhyun feel like glass --delicate and transparent, ready to shatter at the next touch. “And I’m not sure what you expect from me.” 

“You…” Baekhyun tries, scrunching his face as he struggles to find the words he wants to speak. “Your words. They’ve… bothered me.”

Jongdae tilts his head. 

“I know the gods tempt me,” Baekhyun continues. “But I… the cruelty. The mistreatment. It’s like you’ve shone a light on it all and I can’t unsee.” He looks at Jongdae imploringly. “How am I meant to hurt another half-blood when you showed me we can heal one another?

“I’m not sure what I believe in anymore,” Baekhyun admits. The chaos of the forest or the imprisonment of Greykeep? Which is the greater of two sins? And how could Baekhyun possibly make that choice? 

“That humans are evil.” Jongdae scoffs. “Obviously.”

Baekhyun growls. “It’s not that simple.”

“Isn’t it?” Jongdae’s irritation only spurs Baekhyun on further. “Do you know how many Greykeep tieflings seek refuge in Hel if they’re even lucky enough to survive the journey?” 

“Stop putting yourself above them,” Baekhyun spits. “It’s not so black and white.” It couldn’t be, after all, otherwise Baekhyun’s choice would be easier than this, the precipice between rejecting all he’s known his whole life or embracing it as the truth. It’s strange, because before Jongdae, Baekhyun had never even considered that there  _ were _ other choices, other lives, other cultures, other customs, but now that he’s had a taste of them he wants to know more, wants to understand this world he lives in and how to make sense of it. 

“You once told me that the problem was that we don’t understand each other,” Baekhyun tries, anger receding. “But you’re a hypocrite.”

Jongdae’s face falls open, speechless. 

“Can you even begin to understand how much it kills me,” he starts, “to watch us fight each other? To see you wolves in your chains and collars kill other tieflings so that the humans can kill the forest that protects us?” Jongdae looks away, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Guilt pricks the tips of Baekhyun’s fingers. “How can I ever forgive them for such a thing?”

“I’ve killed tens of wildlings,” Baekhyun replies. “Hundreds, even, because I thought it was right. But you still gave me a second chance, made me realise that what I was doing...” He shakes his head. It can’t be right, Baekhyun knows that, but now he doesn’t know what is. 

“You could have a better second chance,” Jongdae says, softening. “You could come with me. To Hel.” 

Baekhyun’s eyes widen, shell-shocked. Run away to Hel? It’s unthinkable… Not only is he shackled and collared with magical enchantments that can never be undone, but the bloodhounds will be sent to hunt him, and they never lose their mark. Temptation sways him, but Baekhyun can’t afford to be so impulsive when he’s still unsure. 

Besides, he can’t leave Baekbeom. 

“I can’t abandon Greykeep,” Baekhyun replies. 

Jongdae’s face turns uncharacteristically cold, jaw clenched as the silence stretches between them, nothing but the music of the forest’s song. His disappointment sinks into Baekhyun’s bones. 

“The sun is nearly rising,” Jongdae says, clipped and  empty. “You should go before you’re punished.”

“Jongdae--” Baekhyun tries, because he’s not done. There’s still so much to learn, so much to understand, but a glance backwards reveals the lightening sky. “...I need your blood.”

Jongdae’s head snaps forward. “What?”

“I need your blood,” Baekhyun repeats. “If I go back having failed to hunt after taking another wolf’s prize…” He can’t imagine the consequences of such a thing. He has to be careful to not lose his place in the den of wolves, or they’ll suspect something is wrong. 

Jongdae laughs. “Wolves,” he huffs. “You have no idea the price of what you’re asking for, do you? What it means?” Baekhyun remains silent. “Fine.” Jongdae outstretches his left arm. “Take it. Consider it me repaying you for saving my life.”

Baekhyun nearly points out that it’s  _ he _ who owes Jongdae, but decides that he should just take Jongdae’s acceptance for what it is. His mouth waters at the sight of Jongdae’s bare skin, so willing and open. Baekhyun can’t even stop himself as he takes Jongdae’s arm between his hands gingerly, and sinks his teeth in. 

Jongdae doesn’t even flinch, just watches with assessing golden eyes as Baekhyun’s fangs pierce his skin. He moans at the taste of Jongdae’s blood before he can stop himself, body buzzing with Jongdae’s magic and power. He tastes even sweeter than he smells, and Baekhyun is so  _ hungry _ . It’s been so long since he’s tasted demon blood and he’s never had it like this before, when the donor is still living and giving it willingly. It’s a whole other feeling of euphoria.

Baekhyun sucks harder because he can’t stop himself, and Jongdae’s other hand tugs his head back by pulling at the hair on his head between his ears, making Baekhyun snap out of his daze. He blinks, humiliated, mouth covered in Jongdae’s blood and throat exposed.

“That’s enough,” Jongdae orders. Baekhyun whimpers, and Jongdae’s hand releases him, Baekhyun falling to his knees. Jongdae cradles his bleeding arm against his chest, the wound not closing over. Baekhyun tears his gaze away, smearing the blood on his lips across his mouth and over his hands. He smells like Jongdae already, and it makes him dizzy. The forest seems so much louder, and his body shakes with the feeling of his world having been tipped on its side. 

Jongdae has a strange far-off expression on his face, and it’s like Baekhyun can  _ feel _ his sadness, his loneliness, with Jongdae’s blood inside him like this. Before he can think anything of it, though Jongdae leaps into the canopy. Baekhyun opens his mouth to say… anything, maybe a wish to meet again, or something of gratitude. He closes it. 

“Stay away from Greykeep,” he decides to say.

Jongdae’s feline eyes sparkle. “No promises. Maybe I like watching you play my knight in shining armour, puppy.” His face straightens out again, serious and wistful. “Get home safely, Baekhyun. Wherever home is for you.”

And like that he disappears into the shadows of the night, nothing but a blur of movement between the tree branches, travelling north beyond Greykeep’s borders. Baekhyun growls in frustration as something aches, hollow and empty inside him, but he pays it no mind, shifting and making his way back to Greykeep. 

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun has to try not to lick his maw too much with Jongdae’s blood embedded in his fur. It just tastes so good, but he hadn’t taken much --the last thing he needs is to clean it all away. 

As he steps out of the forest, the wind roars. 

_ You promised us blood _ .

Baekhyun flinches against the icy onslaught, incapable of stepping forward as it pushes against him. He growls; the wind stills.

Baekhyun shifts. Jongdae’s blood is stuck to his skin and is too precious to waste, and Baekhyun feels a strange string of possession that holds him from letting any of it fall. Besides, he’d made a promise not to spill his. Picking up a nearby jagged rock on the forest floor, Baekhyun grunts as he tears through the skin in his palm, squeezing his hand into a fist so that it dribbles to the forest floor below. It lands in the earth with fizzles of steam, sinking into the ground instantly. The forest sings.

Rejoining the other wolves in the den, Taeyeon smiles at Baekhyun when she spots the blood around his mouth.

“Good,” she praises, her own arms smeared in blood that doesn’t belong to her. “I’m glad you didn’t disappoint us. Did the wildling taste sweet?”

Baekhyun nods, even as his stomach churns. It’s not a lie. He may have saved Jongdae, but the other wildlings in the forest… 

“Looks like you didn’t escape unscathed,” Seohyun points out, gesturing to Baekhyun’s bleeding palm. He blinks, confused at the wound still being open. Such a small wound should have healed over by now. “Let me guess, wolfsbane dagger? Those things are such a pain to heal.”

Baekhyun swallows, curling his fingers over the wound. “Something like that.”  

  
  
  
  
  
  


Baekbeom welcomes Baekhyun back from the hunt with a grin and open arms.

“You smell like wildling,” he says, like it’s a compliment. He engulfs him in a hug. “Successful Hunt?” 

“Yes,” Baekhyun admits, though maybe not in the way Baekbeom thinks. “What’s for breakfast?”

Baekhyun has still been starved, so he eats small portions and does so carefully before realising he doesn’t  _ need  _ to. Jongdae blood fills him with power, and his exhaustion is gone, his mind clear, his body more focused and concentrated than it’s ever been, even though there’s this… hollow feeling in his chest. A Hunt usually fills him with such energy, but not to this extent --Baekhyun can’t tell if it’s because of Jongdae’s power, or because he’s still alive and his blood sings to Baekhyun even across the distance, wanting him to take more. 

Baekbeom likes to spoil Baekhyun after a hunt --like to spoil him in general-- with big portions of rice and seared meat, always asking him questions. Usually Baekhyun would answer them happily, but now he stays vague and unclear, invested more in eating. Baekbeom frowns.

“Hey, what’s--” He reaches across the table to tug at Baekhyun’s bloodied sleeve hem, revealing the open wound on his palm. “Why hasn’t this healed?”

Baekhyun snatches his hand back. “Wolfsbane,” he lies.

“That wound isn’t purple,” Baekbeom points out, his face falling. “Baekhyun… what aren’t you telling me? Why are you acting so different?”

“Different?” Baekhyun repeats. “I’m fine. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Do you think I haven’t noticed?” Baekbeom asks. “You skip prayers, you glare when Keepers pass. You’re always lost in thought…” 

Baekhyun inhales. “It’s nothing,” he lies.

“Bullshit,” Baekbeom snaps. “I know you, Baekhyun, and this isn’t you.”

Isn’t it? If Baekhyun isn’t the subservient dog kept on his leash, praying to gods who hate him and bowing down to the Keepers that check his shackles, then who is he? Take away everything that’s been forced upon him all his life, and what is it that’s left behind? 

Baekhyun looks away. “Don’t you ever question it?” he mumbles. “The way they treat us. The things they do to us.” 

Baekbeom turns ashen. “It was that wildling, wasn’t it? From two moons ago. He poisoned your mind.” 

“ _ No _ ,” Baekhyun emphases. “No, my thoughts are clear, Baekbeom, just look around you. Our people, suffering, fighting one another for no reason beyond human greed--”

“‘ _ Human _ ’?” Baekbeom quotes. “Why do you talk like you aren’t one, Baekhyun? Like we don’t share blood.” Baekhyun’s ears droop, scolded like a child. “Do you know how dangerous these thoughts are? Not only for you but for those around you? Blasphemy is not something to rifle with easily, Baekhyun.”

“It’s not--” Baekhyun growls, frustrated. “Why should we sit back and accept the life they tell us we deserve?” 

“Because they’re the ones in power!” Baekbeom shouts. Baekhyun goes silent, chastised like a child. “Do you really think you’re the first half-blood to question our treatment? Because you’re not. And the reason you think you are is because all those before you were silenced. There’s no point in fighting your chains, Baekhyun. You’ll never win.” Baekbeom puts a hand on his shoulder, looking at him imploringly. “Just keep your head down and stay safe,  _ please _ . You’re my brother, Baekhyun, you’re all I have. I can’t lose you.” 

Guilt burdens Baekhyun. “They’re just thoughts,” he mumbles, a flimsy excuse. It’s not like Baekhyun has done anything --instead his rebellion is by doing nothing at all. Baekbeom’s words seem daunting. He’s right, after all, what’s one wolf in the face of a king? 

“Keep them that way,” Baekbeom tells him. “The gods will forgive you for weakness so long as you don’t act upon it.” 

Baekhyun doesn’t respond, keeping his eyes downcast as he grits his teeth. All Baekbeom wants is for him to accept this fate for what it is, but then how will anything change? Will wolves and wildlings and humans alike just fight until the end of time? How much needless bloodshed will there be? How much suffering?

But Baekhyun doesn’t say any of that. After all, they’re just thoughts. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another amazing jongdae can be found [here](https://twitter.com/BumbleBoa/status/1140993552375320576) i am perpetually SCREAMING.

* * *

 

Baekhyun’s resentment never disappears. It boils, it overflows, it simmers, but it always remains there in his chest, impossible to ignore.

All he’s allowed to do is _think_ , so in the empty spaces of his days between Hunts that’s all Baekhyun does. Sits at his guard post on the watchtower in his armor and stares out at the forest, listening to its song, thinking.

Baekhyun isn’t sure at what stage between meeting Jongdae with an arrow in his stomach and tasting Jongdae’s blood that something was born, but it’s nestled inside him now, restless and dissatisfied. It’s too large to cull and too large to ignore. Oppression, suffrage, ugliness --the whole city is filled with it, bare beneath moonlight and sunlight both. It makes him sick.

And then Baekhyun thinks of his brother, and the anger withers. Spite and loathing turn to wistfulness and that ache again, the hollow one --dreams of retribution and revenge turn to ones of escape. Baekhyun is selfish; he doesn’t want to change the world, he just wants to _see_ it. He wants to be rid of the shackles at his hands and feet and see the world. All he’s ever known is Greykeep, the forest, and the nightmarish tales of Hel --but Jongdae had spoken of Hel like it’s a place worthy of being called home. A place with a queen, with people, with a different culture and customs and so fascinating because of it.

Baekhyun had never considered it before, but now he can’t stop --does the Black Forest ever end? And if so, what lies beyond it? Humans --save for the Keepers-- cannot traverse through the forest because it’s too perilous, and having no magic makes them vulnerable inside of it, but Baekhyun… Baekhyun can. He’s done it. Hundreds of times. The forest can’t possibly stretch to the end of earth, where the land plateaus off to meet stars in the realm of the gods... can it?

Are there half-bloods beyond Hel? Humans? Or… something else. Is it true that demons decimated everything when the first half-bloods summoned them to the surface and gave them form, or are there other survivors? People who slipped through the cracks of time and history both.

“Baekhyun.” He snaps out of his reverie, facing a frowning Sehun. “Keeper Siwon put me on the night shift. You can go.”

“Oh.” Gods, when had the sun even set? “Right.” Baekhyun hands Sehun his torch, taking off his helmet and shaking his ears free, brushing his silver bangs back into place. He nods before crouching to open the hatch door that leads to the stairwell spiralling down to the base.

“Baekhyun?” Sehun prompts. Baekhyun pauses. “You could've told me about the wildling.” His heart drums in his ears, body tense. “The one that got away. I could've helped.”

Baekhyun swallows, exhaling in quiet relief. “It was personal.”

Sehun just frowns harder. “Well now that it's done, can I hunt with you next time?”

So insistent. Baekhyun smiles, despite himself.

“Maybe.”

The walk back to the slums from the South watchtower is far, leaving Baekhyun antsy in the dark, unlit streets. Half-bloods being hurt, harmed, attacked on their way home --it's not uncommon. Even though Baekhyun is a wolf and bears the King's seal on his chest, it means nothing in the eye of hatred.

Besides, it's the new moon, when his magic is at its weakest. He tucks his hands beneath his armpits at the biting autumn wind --the cut on his palm still hasn't healed, merely a scab now that Baekhyun has taken to bandaging to hide. His instincts prickle, on high alert. Baekhyun grits his teeth and charges onwards, ignoring his gut. Fears of gods’ eyes seeing into his thoughts and seeking to punish him is fodder only children would be scared of.

But the feeling in Baekhyun's chest grows, a restless rustling that sings to something Baekhyun can't hear, pulling him in a direction away from the hut he shares with Baekbeom, down the abandoned and ransacked lots of the slum outskirts, into a dark alleyway.

There's someone there.

Baekhyun is on edge immediately, stepping forward at a careful pace, watching the hooded figure examine… something, over the broken wooden walls of one of the nearby abandoned shacks they're wedged between.

“Who’s there?” he calls, suspicious and on-guard. The figure sharply turns, and two hands rise to pull the hood of their back.

“Baekhyun?” Jongdae asks.

Baekhyun’s jaw drops.

“What the _fuck_.”

Jongdae grins, flashing all his teeth. “Hi.”

Baekhyun is speechless, convinced he’s hallucinating to some extent and freaking out over how much his blood _sings_ , happy to be reunited with Jongdae --and hungry for more.

“Wh-- What. _How_. You--”

“You said so yourself,” Jongdae says, still looking far too smug. “I’ve never seen Greykeep before, and you were right. I need to understand this world if I want it to change.”

“But--” Baekhyun stammers. “How did you get _in_?” Greykeep is surrounded by watchtowers and guarded in every which way by wolves, it’s just not possible.

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “For a city concerned with the threat of wildlings, it’s really too easy to slip into the group of loggers heading home. All I had to do was keep my hood down, bundle up my cloak, and nobody batted an eye.”

“If you’re seen without a collar…”

“What? I’ll be punished?” Jongdae’s grin turns feral. “They’ll have to catch me first.”

“I told you to stay away from Greykeep.”

“And you also told me I don’t understand it.” His smug composure is infuriating. “Looks like I’m not the only hypocrite, puppy.” Baekhyun growls, even as Jongdae steps closer and his blood sings with relief, begging for more more _more_. “C’mon, how can I ever hope to understand your life if I’m always kept away from it?”

Baekhyun slumps.

“You’re a fool.” Jongdae smiles brighter. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“So does that mean you have a place for me to stay?” Jongdae teases, tail curling behind him playfully. “It was a pain in the ass to get here and I’m sleepy. I want to see Greykeep in daylight at least once.”

Baekhyun tugs at Jongdae’s wrist, but drops it almost instantly after the skin contact flares heat the whole way along his arm. He cradles his bandaged palm against his chest.

“No,” Baekhyun grits out. “Sleep on the street for all I care.”

“Aww puppy don’t be like that,” Jongdae whines, double-stepping to keep up with Baekhyun and fall into place beside him. Baekhyun grinds his teeth, purposefully stepping aside to put more space between them. Jongdae’s tail is still happily curling, confusing Baekhyun. It’s certainly a different side to the on-guard wildling from the forest. “If I could teach you that Hel’s tieflings are people too, maybe you should show me why you defend all--” He gestures around him, to the dark and decrepit slums-- “This.”

“I’m not your glorified tour guide.”

“And I’m not your on-call healer.” Jongdae stops in place, tugging Baekhyun’s wrist back and forcing him to a halt sharply enough that Baekhyun growls in warning. Jongdae is unfazed, holding Baekhyun’s bandaged hand. “Yet here we are.” He begins to unwind the poorly torn strips of cloth. “What’s this?”

“Nothing.” Baekhyun attempts to tug his hand back, but Jongdae is relentless. His golden eyes widen upon seeing the scab, healing like Baekhyun would if he were human, bound to leave a scar.

“Did you…” Jongdae looks horrified. “Did you offer your blood to the forest?” His grip slackens, and Baekhyun finally pulls free.

“What does it matter?” he mutters, winding the cloth back around.

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae starts seriously. “When you offer blood, you offer _everything_ you are. Your life, your spirit itself, the very essence of _you._ You give a part of yourself away and you don’t get it back. If the forest took enough, it could kill you. Or worse, its magic could corrupt you and turn you into a demon. Blood magic isn’t something to mess with. Especially when it comes to the forest.”

“Blood magic?” Baekhyun repeats, numb. He’d never even considered that offering to the forest was _magic_ , and yet as he stares down at his palm, it’s so clear. He can’t believe it had tricked him into thinking it was anything different.

“You can’t offer yourself to the forest, you can’t trust it.” Baekhyun curls his fingers. “ _Promise_ me, Baekhyun. Promise me you won’t do it ever again.”

Baekhyun startles; gone is Jongdae’s playful mask, replaced with genuine fear.

“I promise,” Baekhyun says, watching Jongdae relax. How much worth does a wolf’s word hold to a wildling, he wonders? Just how fickle is blood magic that it could make Jongdae so concerned? Baekhyun doesn’t know, but that’s a feeling he’s used to, as of late, so little in the world that he fully understands when he’s kept in a cage. “Come.” Baekhyun relents, jerking his head forward. Jongdae’s gaze snaps up. “I live nearby.”

He arches an eyebrow. “This isn’t a war zone?”

“These are the slums,” Baekhyun answers. “The half-blood quarter.”

“Spirits,” Jongdae curses. “It’s a dump.”

“Yes,” Baekhyun agrees. “It is.” Jongdae blinks at him, confused by the fact that he’s not arguing. Baekhyun smiles softly before he can stop himself, jerking his chin forward. “Turn here.”

Half-blood taxes are taken by the King’s collectors, and funneled into maintaining the streets of the human districts. Meanwhile the slums are left behind to rot and fester, kept together only through sheer stubbornness. Baekhyun can’t even count the amount of times Baekbeom has taken to the roof with planks of wood or sheets of tin and a hammer, while Baekhyun held the shaky ladder feet below.

“Do all tieflings live here?”

“Be careful with that word,” Baekhyun hisses, glancing around and pulling Jongdae forward. “And no, they don’t. Some live where they work, or have enough money to rent property outside of the slums.”

“Rent but not own?” Baekhyun nods. Jongdae frowns.

“We don’t get that right. It’s against the King’s rule.”

“The King, huh?” Jongdae glances towards Winter’s Hold, the spiral tower in the centre of Greykeep, the palace itself. “You know, that thing looks a lot shorter up close.” He hums. “Have you ever met your so-called King?”

“No.”

“But aren’t you one of his prized wolves?”

“Wolf, yes. Prized, no.”

“You’re not a very talkative puppy, are you?” Baekhyun narrows his eyes. “Then again I guess that’s bound to happen when you’re born with a muzzle.”

“And chains,” Baekhyun reminds him. Jongdae stays silent after that.

Baekhyun leads them through the narrow streets of the clustered makeshift houses. “My brother will be asleep, so stay quiet.” He turns abruptly to face Jongdae, who nearly bumps into him in the process. “I could turn you in at any moment. Don’t forget that.”

“And I’ll tell them all about how you saved me, my puppy in shining armour.” Jongdae flutters his eyelashes. Baekhyun rolls his eyes and finally leads him to his shared house with Baekbeom, tiptoeing over his sleeping figure in the entrance. A half-torn paper screen is used to section off Baekhyun’s ‘room’ so-to-speak, allowing him to sleep in after night guard duties while Baekbeom wakes early for work. Baekhyun shoves Jongdae into it and stretches it taut, hoping his brother won’t feel the need to peek through for some gods forsaken reason.

Baekhyun isn’t sure how he’d explain that one.

He gestures to the futon, and watches Jongdae hesitantly take his cloak off, revealing his strange wildling tunic and the geometric markings on his skin beneath. He glances around. “Where will you sleep?”

“Here.” Baekhyun sits against the wall at Jongdae’s feet. He opens his mouth to protest. “I’m used to it. It doesn’t matter.” Jongdae’s mouth closes. Baekhyun forces his eyes shut to prevent any further arguing. None come.

He thinks he hears Jongdae say, “I guess wolves aren’t so big and bad after all.” But he refuses to respond, focusing on the feeling of fullness in his chest, rather than the frantic thoughts about what to do with Jongdae here.

Baekhyun drifts in and out of consciousness, alert every time Jongdae so much as twitches in his sleep. Baekhyun wakes completely when Baekbeom does, tottering around outside the screen before finally leaving to his station at the Kim household. Baekhyun slumps in relief.

“Get up.” He nudges Jongdae with his toe, who grumbles and rolls over, pulling the thin blanket over his head. “My duties start soon.”

“Duties?” Jongdae quotes, rubbing at his eyes and yawning, tail twitching as he sits up. “What does that mean?”

“All wolves are sworn protectors of Greykeep,” Baekhyun recites. “So get up.”

“Fine.” Jongdae rolls off the futon and stretches, lithe body twisting like a cat. He looks somewhat different without all his jewellery, less regal, though still as powerful. “I’m excited to see this beloved city of yours in daylight.”

“You can’t go out there,” Baekhyun immediately counters. “You’ll get caught.”

Jongdae arches an eyebrow. “How can you be so sure?”

“You radiate wildling,” Baekhyun says. While Jongdae had obviously taken some effort to change his scent, his skin is still covered in markings, his neck is unblemished and his eyes are sharpened by defiance and freedom. “You stand out just by being.” Baekhyun huffs in disbelief. “I can’t believe you thought it was a smart idea to come here.”

“Well, I never said it was a _smart_ idea,” Jongdae mumbles. “But I wanted to do it. And I figured you’d help.”

Baekhyun narrows his eyes. “Why?”

“Because you’re a good puppy.” Jongdae’s infuriating mouth curls upwards. “All bark and no bite.” Baekhyun growls, and Jongdae doesn’t even bat an eye. “What’s for breakfast?”

Baekhyun serves up the leftover fish Baekbeom had left behind, and Jongdae stares at it. At first Baekhyun thinks it’s because Jongdae is being picky, but when he sees Jongdae fumble with his chopsticks he realises wildlings must not use them, and reaches over the table to adjust his grip. Jongdae’s mouth stretches into a smile as he immediately gets the hang of it, and digs in happily.

As Baekhyun leaves to start his shift, Jongdae follows.

“No.” Baekhyun pushes Jongdae by his shoulder back into the house. “You have to stay.”

“Are you joking?” Jongdae complains. “I’ll die of boredom.”

“Too bad.” Baekhyun blocks the door. “I’ll work out how to get you back to the forest later.”

“I’m not leaving, Baekhyun,” Jongdae argues. “I didn’t risk my tail to go home more confused than when I started.”

Baekhyun grits his teeth. “Fine.” Jongdae’s face splits into a grin. “Were you born this stubborn?”

“So my mother tells me.” Jongdae’s grin is unrelenting.

Baekhyun sighs. “Don’t show your tattoos or your neck. Don’t speak unless spoken to, don’t look humans in the eye, and kneel if a Keeper passes. If anyone asks what you’re doing, just say you’re running errands for House Kim.”

Jongdae tugs at his cloak so that it wraps around his neck. “What’s a Keeper?”

“Captains of the Guard,” Baekhyun recites, “Holy Knights of Greykeep, the hands of the King’s will. The last of the full blood mages.” They have many titles. Most of them long. “They’re the ones that train us as wolves, and they oversee many duties throughout the city in the King’s name. You’ll know one when you see them,  they wear white armor.”

“Noted.” Jongdae nods. “Anything else?”

“Don’t pass any checkpoints. It’s forbidden for half-bloods to travel between the inner quarters without explicit written permission. Keep your head down and stay out of sight. Don’t get lost. I’ll be back by sunset.”

Jongdae smiles. “You’re a cute puppy when you’re being so demanding.”

“This isn’t funny,” Baekhyun snaps. Jongdae’s smile turns into a pout. “I don’t know what the Keepers would do to you if you got caught, and I don’t want to find out.”

His lips twitch. “Careful puppy, it almost sounds like you care about me.”

Baekhyun swallows. “When it’s time, meet me where you were last night.”

Jongdae’s smile turns knowing. He gives a curt wave. “Bye, puppy.”

Baekhyun slams the door behind him.

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun checks in with the Keeper at the base of the watchtower and suits up before attending to his post, listening to the forest sing around him and gritting his teeth through the sudden ache in his chest. With the new moon Baekhyun’s demon blood is quiet and subdued, which is why the hunger startles him so much.

Regardless, it’s impossible to stay focused when he can’t stop worrying about Jongdae, scared he’ll be caught, or hurt, or worse. Time seems to travel so slowly it’s almost working in reverse, but Baekhyun tries to tell himself it’ll be fine. If there’s anything he knows about Jongdae, it’s that he’s capable, stubborn, and smart. Despite the amount of idiocy it takes to break into the stronghold of your people’s mortal enemy, he isn’t one to slip up so easily.

By the time the sun sets and Seohyun comes to take over his shift, Baekhyun is antsy and impatient. He strips off his armor, collects his pay while fiddling on the spot, and has to try and stop himself from running to the slums, settling on a walk that includes a lot of double-steps instead.

The alleyway Jongdae had been in the night prior is empty.

“Jongdae?” Baekhyun calls, walking deeper. It’s completely deserted, nothing but the broken down buildings and the scurrying of rats. Something catches the corner of Baekhyun’s eye blue paint on the rotting planks of wood, fading and chipped. Graffiti.

 _We will not be chained_.

Panic sinks in at Jongdae’s absence, and Baekhyun sprints through the abandoned lots, calling his name and hoping to see Jongdae but he never does. His heart pounds in his chest, so Baekhyun runs home instead, hoping that maybe-- maybe--

The front door slides open with a bang. Jongdae is sitting at the dining table with Baekbeom.

“Hi,” he says cheerily, grinning. “You’re finally back.”

Baekhyun slumps in relief, then swallows any of his following panic because while Jongdae may not be kidnapped or hurt, he is _sitting at the dining table with Baekhyun’s brother_.

“I told you to meet me outside,” Baekhyun grits out.

“Oh.” Jongdae blinks in realisation, laughing sheepishly. “Oops?”

“Don’t be so harsh Baekhyun.” Baekbeom waves his hands. “I enjoyed talking with your friend.”

“Friend,” Baekhyun repeats in disbelief. Jongdae smiles. “...Right.”

He’s wearing different clothes, although his cloak still sits on his shoulders, carefully clasped over his throat to hide the absence of a collar.

“You could’ve told me that Jongdae needed a place to stay earlier,” Baekbeom says. “I wouldn’t have minded.”

“It was a recent dilemma,” Jongdae offers. “Don’t hold it against him.”

“............Right,” Baekhyun says again, narrowing his eyes at Jongdae who just shrugs helplessly before Baekbeom turns and they both revert to expressions of neutrality.

“Baekbeom was just telling me what you were like as a puppy.” Baekhyun has to resist the urge to growl at the way Jongdae’s sing-song voice says _puppy_ , dripping like honey. “An actual puppy.”

“He was the cutest kid.” Baekbeom sighs wistfully. “So mischievous, though. Made father’s hair fall out on multiple occasions. One time he climbed a tree so high father nearly lost his tail.”

“I can’t imagine it.” Jongdae rests his chin in his palm, tail curling playfully as he looks up at Baekhyun with a coy smile. “He’s so serious now.”

“Well…”

“The Keepers don’t like disobedient wolves,” Baekhyun says, the bitterness seeping into his voice before he can stop it.

“Baekhyun,” Baekbeom scolds, nervous. Baekhyun huffs through his nose and walks towards the kitchen, grabbing a wooden pail by the stove.

“I’m going to go bathe,” he says. Ignoring Baekbeom’s following sigh.

“I’ll come with,” Jongdae offers in the awkward silence, standing. “I could use a rinse too.”

He meets Baekhyun’s eyes unwaveringly, and any retort withers away as Baekhyun nods instead, leading the way to the Sleeping River that carves through Greykeep, higher up in the slums where the paved streets turn to grass and Baekhyun can already see a few half-blood children up ahead, splashing water at each other and laughing as they play, their parents watching over them from the hillside. He strips off his clothes, crouching to fill the pail with water and dumping it over his head.

Jongdae watches him in silence. Baekhyun cracks first.

“New clothes,” he states.

Jongdae hums. “I stole them from a human’s backyard. Hopefully they don’t mind.” He smiles, showing off his fangs.

“What did you tell my brother?”

“That I was a friend of yours with a leaky roof in the farmlands, and needed somewhere to stay for a few days until my sisters had enough money to buy materials to repair it. They’re staying with friends too, of course.”

Baekhyun narrows his eyes. “You have sisters?”

“I do now.”

It’s a smooth lie, one Baekbeom won’t see the need to dig into too far. It’s not uncommon for half-bloods to offer each other shelter and comfort in times of need, but… well, it’s probably uncommon to turn to a household with a wolf. They’re feared amongst all half-bloods, after all.

Hopefully Baekbeom will be too happy with the fact that Baekhyun has friends to question it. He used to, of course, played with all the half-bloods in the neighbourhood while his grandmother watched him from their house window. Then he came of age to shift, and the Keepers took him to the barracks to begin his training as a wolf. The neighbourhood children stopped talking to Baekhyun after that, smelling the wildling blood in his mouth --Baekhyun stopped trying to talk to them too.

“I wandered around a lot today,” Jongdae starts. Baekhyun just continues pouring the pail over his body, rinsing away the grime and sweat. “Through the half-blood quarter and the merchant district. Everywhere I looked I saw tief--” Jongdae cuts off. “--Half-bloods”, he corrects reluctantly, “with collars.”

Baekhyun’s fingers dance at his own around his throat, sealed magically at the back by the Keepers with their enchantments, never to be removed.

“The humans rely on half-bloods for everything,” Jongdae continues. “To cook, to clean, to build, to guard the damn city itself. Without you they’d collapse, but they treat you like you’re dispensable. They give you pathetic coin and land to live on and let you have a family and pretend like that’s being _generous_ , when all it is is an excuse to keep you complacent and work harder.” Jongdae tucks his knees against his chest, staring at the river. It makes him look young and vulnerable. “I always pictured Greykeep to be a prison, that half-bloods were suffering with each breath they took, but they’re not. They don’t even realised they’re caged.”

“Most of them don’t,” Baekhyun agrees, but thinks back to Baekbeom’s words. “But some know it. They just have no way to fight it.”

Jongdae huffs. “Can’t blame them for that, this whole city is devoid of magic.” He opens his hand, curling and uncurling his fingers. “I’ve been here barely a day and I already feel weakened. It’s so silent, even the river doesn’t sing. Yet in all the quiet our people don’t have a voice to speak up.”

“They do,” Baekhyun argues. “But the King cuts off their tongues.”

“It’s terrible.” Jongdae curls in on himself further. “We’re beings of magic, of freedom. It’s in our blood.”

While Baekhyun knows this, feels it when he runs through the forest and imagines doing it without shackles at his wrist… he’s held back.

“But we had freedom,” he says, pathetically. “The First Ones… their magic was free, like the Keepers, and they cursed our blood to be…” he gestures around his body, to his drooping wet tail. “...this. Inhabited by demons.”

“And who’s to say demons are evil?” Jongdae searches his face. “In Hel, we’re taught that the First Ones were blessed by the forest with powerful spirits to protect all life, that the humans were jealous and greedy and turned against us.”

Baekhyun’s eyes fall, staring at the running water of the silent river.

“Then who’s right?” he asks. Jongdae doesn’t answer.

The children eventually leave the riverbank as their parents call them home, and Jongdae stands to off his clothes, revealing his hundreds of tattoos. Baekhyun almost thinks to ask what they mean, but instead he watches as Jongdae dives into the river, coming up for air with laughter at the frigid temperature, brushing his wet hair out of his face. There’s a scab on the inside of his forearm.

“I thought cats were meant to hate water,” Baekhyun says.

“And I thought wolves never bathed themselves.” Jongdae smiles. “The world is full of surprises.”

Baekhyun narrows his eyes before kicking water at Jongdae’s face, who sputters and ducks beneath the river to dodge it. Before he submerges, Baekhyun grins, quick to turn and hike back up the river bank to shake himself dry. He watches Jongdae stand in the shallows from the corner of his eyes, scrubbing his skin before ducking back into the water to hide his tattoos. His body really is too beautiful, narrow but strong and covered in art that only serves to accentuate the curves of his muscles. Baekhyun’s mouth waters; he turns away.

Jongdae shakes himself dry in the shadows of the riverbank and redresses, catching up to Baekhyun a little ways up the hill. He squeezes his hair behind him, the unruly curls, combing it through with his fingers. Their shoulders brush while walking, and Baekhyun’s blood sighs at the contact.

“When do you plan on leaving?” he asks.

Jongdae smiles. “Want to get rid of me so soon, puppy? I only just arrived.” Baekhyun doesn’t rise to the bait. “I shouldn’t stay much longer after tonight, or my mother will send all of Hel’s hunters looking for me.”

“You run away from home a lot,” Baekhyun points out.

“I do,” Jongdae agrees. “There are… expectations of me, in Hel. Things I don’t want to do. I guess I’m still in a rebellious phase.” Jongdae’s smile is wry, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“What would you rather be doing?”

“Lots of things.” Jongdae hums. “Hunting, exploring, seeing the world.” He gazes up at the sliver of the moon. “Do you think the forest covers the whole earth?”

Baekhyun swallows, looking at the arch of Jongdae’s throat, the way the stars turns his golden eyes silver.

“No,” he answers. “I don’t.”

Jongdae smiles at him. “Me either.”

Back at the house, Baekbeom has finished making a stew of dried beef and served it into three bowls on the dining table, poured over fluffy rice. Jongdae immediately compliments the smell, picking up his chopsticks with excitement, but Baekhyun slaps them out of his hands before Baekbeom sees.

Baekbeom closes his eyes and clasps his hands together. Jongdae's eyes go wide, and Baekhyun shrugs, nudging him with his elbow to make the same gesture with his hands. Baekbeom recites the usual prayer, thanking the gods for providing food amongst family and friends, and when he opens his eyes and smiles at them they finally dig in.

Jongdae compliments the food easily even though Baekhyun thinks it doesn’t taste half as good as the fresh meat Jongdae had served him in the forest. Jongdae is so good at that, an easy charm and charisma that makes him seem so trustworthy, so warm. His kindness bleeds into the air around him, and it makes him so… alluring.

“I’m sorry we don’t have a spare futon for you,” Baekbeom apologises as they’re washing the cooking tools in soapy water Baekhyun brought up from the well. “We’re not used to guests.”

“It’s okay, I’m sure puppy doesn’t mind sharing.” Jongdae gives Baekhyun a coy smile over his shoulder, which Baekhyun rolls his eyes at. Baekbeom laughs.

“I think he does mind.”

“But I don’t, so he’ll just have to deal with it.” Jongdae’s tail curls happily.

“Baekhyun’s too nice to complain anyway,” Baekbeom says. “Even if he’ll never admit to it.”

“I’m right here,” Baekhyun grumbles.

It goes ignored; Jongdae’s eyes curve as he smiles. “I know.”

  
  
  
  
  


Jongdae holds the blanket up expectantly.

“No.”

“Oh c’mon puppy,” Jongdae whines. “I’ve already asked enough of you, I don’t want you to sleep against the wall again. Just be a good dog and share.”

“I’m not…” Baekhyun scrunches his face. “ _No_.”

Jongdae huffs, having none of it as he stands and stubbornly tugs Baekhyun towards the bed, spluttering complaints the whole time. Jongdae pushes him down.

“ _Sit_ ,” he commands. Baekhyun does so reluctantly with his arms folded. Jongdae’s eyes sparkle like he’s just found treasure. “Good boy.”

He scratches behind Baekhyun’s ears in a joking manner, and Baekhyun’s tail actually twitches to the side before he slaps Jongdae’s hands away so it won’t start wagging. Jongdae’s grin grows.

“Now that’s the obedient puppy I know.” Jongdae lies down and tugs on Baekhyun’s tail making him yelp, but he gets the message. The stuffed pillow can barely fit both of their heads as they lie on it, and Baekhyun swallows as he looks at Jongdae’s calm face in the low candlelight from beyond the paper screen. He’s so warm, radiating heat beneath the threadbare blanket, and from this close Baekhyun can smell him, flowers and dew like a rainy day in spring. He must have covered himself in a variety of god-knows-what to hide it, but freshly bathed and so close the magic radiates off of him in calming waves that Baekhyun can’t help but inhale.

They stare at each other in the dark in silence, like they’re trying to take it all in. It’s strangely intimate. Baekhyun still can’t believe Jongdae is in front of him like this, that he’s come to befriend a wildling and even _help_ him…

Jongdae’s hand wriggles out from underneath the cover in a barely-there movement, absentmindedly brushing over Baekhyun’s face and down the lilac scar over his pale left eye.

“What happened?” he asks, voice low and soft.

“My first Hunt,” Baekhyun answers. “I was careless. A wildling with a wolfsbane dagger…”

“Did you kill them?”

Baekhyun swallows, guilt pooling in his stomach. “Yes.”

He remembers her, young and spry with her crow mask and matching feathers --Baekhyun had hesitated then, seeing her human form and wondering how he was meant to take a life. But then she blinded him, and he quickly learnt from his mistakes. He stopped hesitating, after that.

He knows the scar is ugly, a jagged lilac-tinged line over a blinded silver eye, and he flinches under Jongdae’s gentle touch.

“It’s pretty,” Jongdae says. “Like a crescent moon.” He traces the curve of it, giving a soft smile. Baekhyun melts under his touch, and Jongdae pulls his hand back. Baekhyun opens his mouth to say something, but his voice falters, taking in the clear line of Jongdae’s cheekbones, the sweep of his eyelashes over them, his golden eyes. Baekhyun’s gaze drops to Jongdae’s throat, and his mouth waters. His blood sings for him to take another bite, to feel that ecstasy again, to _join_ \--

Jongdae chuckles. “You’re drooling.”

Baekhyun rushes a hand to his mouth, wiping away the saliva dripping past his lips. Heat flushes up his neck.

“Going to eat me?” Jongdae teases.

“No,” Baekhyun reassures, because he isn't --even if he wants to. Sensing the weight in Baekhyun's voice, Jongdae's expression turns serious. “It's…” He licks his lips. “Ever since I tasted your blood…”

“Oh.” Jongdae blinks. “Still?”

“...'Still’?”

“Well, you drank my blood,” Jongdae says, like that’s an explanation. “Usually, for tieflings, it's… a two-way exchange. I didn't expect its effects to last so long.”

A two-way exchange? “So the power? The hunger...?” The way he can sense Jongdae, like a pinprick in the back of his neck, feeling whole only when he's near.

“I… it's my magic inside of you. It seeks to be completed. I didn't think that would happen in a one-way exchange, I thought it would wear off. You didn't take much.”

“It's different,” Baekhyun says, “to when I've… hunted wildlings…”

Jongdae exhales, slow and steady. “When you _take_ someone else's blood, you take their magic, their power. When it's given to you... it's different. It's more than that, because they're alive, because it’s willing. They have more to offer.”

“....I see.” It feels like all Baekhyun can say. Jongdae laughs through his nose, rolling onto his back.

“You don't even realise it, do you?” His head lulls to the side, searching Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun’s ears flatten. “How powerful you are. The forest _bends_ for you, Baekhyun. And with all the blood you’ve taken... No wonder you’re such a lone wolf, I’d be afraid of you too if I didn’t know you were just a puppy.”

“I--” Baekhyun stammers. _Powerful_? Baekhyun doesn’t know magic, doesn’t wear it the way Jongdae does, swirling in the world around him and sticking to his skin. Magic to Baekhyun is an instinct he barely understands --he thought the forest sang to him because he was cursed, not because he was strong enough to hear it. “But you… you are too.”

“Not as much as you.” Jongdae laughs under his breath, devoid of any humour. “Trust me. Giving you my blood didn’t help there either.”

Baekhyun’s eyes drop to his bandaged palm. Him, powerful? It seems so laughable, when he always feels so weak, crushed under the hands of the Keepers and isolated from the world around him. So helpless, so caged.

Jongdae’s eyes flutter shut. “We should sleep.” He hums. “It’s been a long day.”

“For me,” Baekhyun corrects. Jongdae smiles lazily. “You got to wander around and be a nuisance to society. I had to worry all day about you getting caught.”

“Oh how the humans’ hearts would break if they knew…”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, elbowing Jongdae beneath the blanket. “Goodnight, Jongdae.”

“Night, puppy.”

Baekhyun sleeps well for the first time in months, content and comfortable, dreaming of running through a forest without chains under watchful golden eyes in the sky in place of the silver moon.

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun awakens slowly, breathing in the soft scent of flowers. It takes a while for him to gain his bearings, to make sense of the warm body curled against his, the black ears in front of his face.

He blinks, once, twice, rubbing his eyes before taking in Jongdae’s sleeping expression, the quiet rumble of his chest with every exhale. He looks so peaceful, rustling closer to Baekhyun to chase his warmth, and his ears look so soft, the leopard spots visible from this close --Baekhyun just can’t help himself, raising a hand to brush over them curiously.

They’re as soft as they look, far finer than Baekhyun’s coarse fur. At the touch of Baekhyun’s fingers Jongdae nuzzles closer towards his hand, chasing the sensation and purring in his sleep. It’s so bizarre, and equally as endearing, an amused smile growing on Baekhyun’s face as he continues petting Jongdae’s head. He leans further into it, his contented purring growing louder, all until Jongdae’s eyes snap open.

“Don’t.”

Baekhyun’s grin is feral. “Kitty.”

Jongdae’s petty growl is a deep rumble in his chest that Baekhyun just laughs off, standing to join Baekbeom in the kitchen.

“Will you be joining us for the temple service this morning?” Baekbeom asks Jongdae, who freezes at the question.

“Uh…”

“It’s probably different to the temple you’re used to, but it’s open to all half-bloods.”

Right, it’s temple day. Jongdae glances at Baekhyun for help but he ignores him with a smug smile, continuing to eat the rice in his bowl.

“Of course.” Jongdae covers up his hesitation with a smile. “I’d love to come.”

Entering the temple, they take off their shoes, kneeling at the back of the service as the head crane monk leads the hymns. It’s a simple call and response that Jongdae takes to quickly, mimicking Baekhyun’s sitting position, his voice clear and bright. It’s beautiful, really, loud and confident even when he stumbles over the syllables, praying to the twelve gods he doesn’t believe in. The smoke from the ceremonial pyres in the temple washes over them, and Baekhyun can’t breathe.

The service continues on for hours, and by the end of it Jongdae leans over to whisper in Baekhyun’s ear, “That was very boring.”

Jongdae’s breath ghosting over his ear causes them to twitch. “You don’t pray?”

Jongdae hums in thought. “Not like that.” They file out of the temple. “That was… peaceful, interesting, but I’m not sure I could do it once a week.”

“Twice a week,” Baekhyun corrects. Jongdae’s grimace makes him smile.

“What time does your guard duty start?”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I get this holy day off.” Jongdae’s ears perk up, attentive.

“So you can finally show me the city yourself?”

Baekhyun softens. “Guess so.” Baekbeom is in the temple courtyard, talking with some of the other half-bloods he works with, laughing. “Just let me ask Baekbeom if he needs anything from the markets.”

“We’re going to the markets?” Jongdae’s tail curls in excitement and curiosity. Baekhyun smiles to himself as he heads towards his brother.

“The markets?” Baekbeom gives a curious look. “No, I think we’re alright-- Oh! But if you could buy another sack of rice that’d be good.” His eyes drift to Jongdae standing at the edge of the courtyard, rocking on his heels as he glances around at the undoubtedly foreign architecture. "He’s a great person, you know. Where did you find him?”

In a forest, bleeding to death and desperate. “He works near my guard post” Baekhyun lies, surprised by the smooth efficiency of it. “Jongdae is…”

“Relentless?” Baekhyun nods. Baekbeom laughs. “He seems like the friendly type. That’s a good thing for you, though.”

Baekhyun frowns. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” Baekbeom rubs the back of his neck. “You’re closed off, I get it. With everything that’s happened to our family… to you... sometimes it’s nice to have someone barge their way in. They help you heal. Jongdae makes you seem… lighter.”

“Jongdae isn’t-- he isn’t permanent,” Baekhyun stammers, nervous and embarrassed for reasons he doesn’t understand..

“Not permanent?” Baekbeom repeats, skeptical. “How come?”

“Because he’s--” Powerful, free, unchained. Someone born to live in the forest with its magic and life and blood. Temporary, like all things good. “He’s a--” Baekhyun’s eyes flit over to Jongdae. “...He deserves better than having to deal with someone like me.”

“Someone like you?” Baekbeom cups the back of Baekhyun’s neck, forcing his gaze up. “Hey, look at me. You’re loyal and kind and a total piece of shit when you want to be--” Baekhyun smiles-- “But you’re a good person, Baekhyun, and an even better brother. Things have been hard on us these past few years, but the only reason I could get through it was because of you.” Baekhyun’s heart squeezes in his chest. “So don’t beat yourself up like that. Jongdae is lucky to have met you.”

On the contrary, Baekhyun is lucky to have met Jongdae, not only in saving his life but in changing it, opening his eyes and shining a light.

“Thanks, Baekbeom.” Baekhyun squeezes his brother’s wrist.

As they make their way towards the markets, Jongdae says, “So, on this holy day, what would you usually be doing? If I wasn’t around to make your day infinitely better.”

Baekhyun resists the urge to roll his eyes or they might fall out of his head. “If I’m not helping Baekbeom around the house I usually… train.”

Jongdae turns to him. “On your day off you still choose to work?”

Baekhyun shrugs. “I don’t want to fall behind.” Baekhyun is assigned to the watchtower, so he’s never had to ever arrest anyone or interfere with public disturbances, but still.

“Such a hardworking puppy,” Jongdae teases.

“And what do _you_ do on your free days?” Baekhyun counters, disgruntled.

Jongdae hums. “Hel isn’t as rigid as Greykeep,” he explains. “We don’t all just have _one_ duty to the village. We don’t even have--” Jongdae gestures around him-- “This.”

“This?”

“ _This_.” He widens the wave of his arm throughout the market stalls, stockpiled with fruit and meat and other wares. “Money. Markets. If you want something in Hel, you trade for it with something that’s equal worth. It’s more simple that way. We help each other for the good of all of us, rather than how many small, round metal discs they can give us.”

“But Hel isn’t as big as Greykeep,” Baekhyun points out. “It’s easier to keep people happy when there aren’t many.”

“That’s true,” Jongdae concedes. “It probably limits us from all the… grandeur.” He waves his hands around vaguely, to the tall stone towers and cobblestone streets. “But maybe simplicity is a better thing.”

“Of course you’d say that since you live in it.” Baekhyun scoffs, Jongdae just grins.

They continue comparing Hel and Greykeep like that, as Jongdae paints a picture of what the forest-rooted village is like, the houses built into trees and everyone contributing through hunting or gathering or building. He even talks about their celebrations on the phases of the moon, though briefly, an event of song and worship like the temple congregation but not quite as sombre. There are shamans that hear the forest’s song, understanding its language and guiding the King and Queen in their rule to keep all life throughout the forest balanced, the master craftsmen and forgers that make weapons and whisper to the trees to give them homes, the hunters that disappear into the woods for days and return with game trailing behind them.

In return Baekhyun answers his questions about Greykeep, explains how the King decides the worth of gold on how much he can mine from beneath the city, how his tax collection reflects it, how the income he pools contributes towards the city’s wealth. He explains the twelve gods; their domains, what they represent, talks about the festival of the summer solstice where all of the city launches paper lanterns into the sky to guide their ancestors’ spirits home, the parade of performers through the inner human districts and how all the half-blood children will climb the tallest buildings and trees they can find to watch, how Baekhyun had broken his arm as a child doing exactly that.  

Jongdae laughs, his mouth shiny with juice from the apple Baekhyun had bought him a few stalls back when Jongdae had been eyeing it hungrily. “I wish I’d been able to do that as a child. My mother never let me out of her sight.”

Baekhyun’s grandmother had always encouraged him to explore, coming in to comfort his crying face every time his father yelled at him for being so out of line. She’d always been an anchor like that, a lioness half-blood in a family of wolves, her hands so much softer than his father’s stern touch.

“How come?”

Jongdae shrugs. “My father died when I was only a few summers old, and it made her afraid of losing me, I guess. I’m her youngest child, so....”

“You have siblings?”

Jongdae nods. “An older brother, like you, but we’re not nearly as close.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “It’s different. Jongdeok is… well, he has important duties to the family, to our people. He took father’s missing place and he did it well, but me? I’ll always be a child in their eyes.”

It’s like Baekhyun can feel Jongdae’s own pain in his chest, a knife in his heart being twisted round and round. Tentatively, Baekhyun reaches out a hand to just… touch Jongdae, to ground him, to reassure him--

“Baekhyun?” He pulls his hand back, turning.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun breathes out, panic flooding his system because _shit_. Sehun has hunted Jongdae, he might know his scent. Baekhyun carefully angles his body between theirs, hoping to shield him. “What’re you doing here?”

“...Buying… rice?” Sehun offers, looking confused at Baekhyun unfriendly stance. “Uh. Who’s this?”

“I’m Jongdae,” Jongdae says, bowing forward like any good Greykeep half-blood would. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Except that no Greykeep half-blood in half their mind would treat a wolf so openly, like an equal. Baekhyun swallows.

“You too.” Sehun returns the bow, undeterred. “You’ll befriend a cat and not me?” he asks Baekhyun.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes at Sehun’s teasing tone, while Jongdae just laughs.

“Don’t take it too personally,” Jongdae offers. “This puppy has trouble making friends.”

“I’ve noticed,” Sehun comments. “How did you do it?”

“Just keep bothering him.” Jongdae smirks. “He’ll give in eventually.”

Jongdae embellishes an exuberant story about their brothers working in the same household together and Baekhyun and Jongdae getting to know each other after Sehun asks, following them through the marketplace. Sehun talks about being a wolf and hunting with Baekhyun, but Jongdae is quick to change the topic, Sehun misinterpreting his discomfort as half-blood unease, rather than wildling bitterness. Piece by piece, Baekhyun relaxes, watching Jongdae’s easy charm and charisma work on another wolf the same way it had worked on Baekhyun and his brother --Sehun doesn’t seem suspicious in the slightest. It’s strange, really, how easily Jongdae slots himself into Baekhyun’s life, and how well he fits there even when Baekhyun knows he shouldn’t.

“It was nice meeting you, but my mother will be expecting me.” Sehun jabs a thumb over his shoulder, causing the bag of rice in his arms to jostle and drop one of the leeks he’d been holding onto the ground.

“You too.” Jongdae bends to pick it up, and as he reaches forward, his sleeve tugs up, showing the tattooed skin beneath. It’s only a split second, but Baekhyun’s entire body freezes, watching as confusion flashes in Sehun’s eyes before Jongdae quickly pulls the hem down and hands over the leek, smiling.

Sehun smiles back. “Thanks,” he says, showing no sign of having realised what the markings are. Baekhyun exhales. “See you around.”

“What a nice kid,” Jongdae comments, pausing. “...For a wolf.”

“He hasn’t killed his first wildling yet,” Baekhyun says. “He won’t be nice for much longer.”

Jongdae’s expression saddens. “Maybe… maybe you could change his mind. Maybe you can stop that from ever happening.”

“...Maybe.”

They continue through the markets hills until they reach a different temple at the top, and the gardens surrounding it. It’s a monastery for monks, rather than a public place of worship, but it’s still open and friendly to half-bloods, on the outskirts of Greykeep. Baekhyun remembers coming here with his grandmother as a child, listening to Baekbeom whistle like a dhole as she whispered that the trees could hear him, and the wind was it singing back. Baekhyun had believed her; even then he could hear the forest’s soft voice calling to him, a constant companion.

Jongdae inhales deeply, and the wind curls around him.

“There’s still magic here,” he says, a smile on his face. “Do you feel it?”

Baekhyun closes his eyes, listening. It’s the faintest of whispers, but it’s still there.

“I never realised,” he says, as Jongdae sits by the edge of a pond and Baekhyun joins him, watching the sunset up ahead. “I guess some parts of Greykeep aren’t completely suffocated.”

The sun crests over Winter’s Hold, turning the ivory tower gold. The sky above it is peach apricot and a bruising purple, casting the whole city in a warm glow. From up here, it’s beautiful.

“I understand it, you know,” Jongdae starts. “Why you all don’t just… leave.” He gazes out at the horizon. “I always pictured Greykeep to be horrible, and it _is_ , and I couldn’t understand why every tiefling didn’t just run away. But it’s… home to so many of us. And home isn’t something that’s easy to leave.”

“Hel is unknown to us,” Baekhyun consoles. “Even if we made the journey through the forest, we don’t know what awaits us. It’s not so simple of assuming Hel to be the lesser of two evils. We have as much of a right to live in Greykeep as any human does.”

“‘We’?” Jongdae repeats, tilting his head. “Or ‘they’?” Baekhyun gives him a confused look. “Do _you_ want to live in Greykeep, Baekhyun? When magic sings to you like it’s yours and the forest calls you home?”

Baekhyun swallows, heart pounding. “Greykeep is all I’ve known,” he says, curling his hands into fists.

“But you’ve seen the forest,” Jongdae argues. “You have _me_. You know Hel is out there, waiting for you. You don’t have to stay here. You’re strong enough to fight bloodhounds, to escape Keepers.”

It’s so tempting, even from here, where the magic curls around him like a blanket, comforting and warm, where Jongdae’s presence makes him feel whole and his golden eyes burn brighter than the setting sun.

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I can’t,” he says, ears drooping. “Baekbeom would never leave Greykeep. It’s his home. And I can’t leave him.”

Jongdae exhales. “I understand,” he says, his lack of arguing surprising Baekhyun. “He’s your family. You should stay with him if that’s what feels right.”

Baekhyun nods. “It does.” Even if Greykeep looks like a prison to Baekhyun, suffocating him… staying with Baekbeom comes first. “Hel sounds beautiful, though.”

“It is. I hope one day you can see it.”

“We don’t…” Baekhyun licks his lips, nervous. “We… This doesn’t have to be the last time we see each other. You can come back to Greykeep. I… I’ll still need something to do on the full moon.”

Jongdae’s eyes soften. “I’d like that.”

They stay there until the sun sets over the horizon completely, letting the quiet calm and the soft flow of magic wash over them. Jongdae exhales.

“Okay,” he says. “I should leave before my mother sends out all of Hel looking for me and I become the cause of a full human-tiefling war.”

Baekhyun huffs in amusement. “That protective?”

“You have no idea.” He stands and stretches, tail swishing behind him. Baekhyun follows suit.

“Let me smuggle you out.”

Jongdae laughs.

They walk down the hill to the outskirts of Greykeep, where the city becomes farmlands and the farmlands become the remains of the forest with its withered stumps where the loggers work, the air filled with the scent of dead and stolen magic. A guard tower lined with wolves stands up ahead, its bright pyre lighting the ground around it.

“Will you be okay to sneak through?” Baekhyun asks, worried. There are gaps in the northern defense where Jongdae might be able to pass, but the wolves have sharp senses.

“I’ve done it once, I can do it again,” Jongdae promises him. “Don’t worry, puppy. You’ll see me again before you know it.”

“Jongdae--” Baekhyun reaches out to tug his wrist before he can walk away, trying to speak but his voice fails him.

“Thank you,” Jongdae says instead, saving Baekhyun from having to talk. “For everything, Baekhyun. And tell your brother thanks too.”

Slowly, Baekhyun lets go. “I will.”

Jongdae does a strange gesture then, wrapping his hand around the back of Baekhyun’s head before touching their foreheads together. “May the forest be merciful.”

Baekhyun blinks at the gesture before understanding, returning it with one of his own. He falls to one knee. It’s a sign of deep respect. “May the gods watch over you.”

Jongdae smiles at him, eyes swimming with a hundred and one things Baekhyun can’t make sense of, and then the war horn sounds.

Baekhyun’s stomach fills with dread instantly, face falling, because such a horn is blown only on the night of the Hunt --for wildlings.

“Run!!” he shouts at Jongdae, hearing the sound of armor plates banging together as wolves zero in on their position.

“What? What’s going on? I can’t leave you--”

“Just _go_.” Baekhyun shoves Jongdae with all his might, and he stumbles, once, before running into the forest. Baekhyun is pushed to his knees with the butt of a spear stabbed into his back, watching Jongdae’s retreating figure disappear into the shadows. Several armed guards run ahead to chase after him, but the wind pushes them back. They’ll never catch up to a wildling on his home ground, not without the full moon.

“You were right, Sehun,” Keeper Siwon says, stepping forward and fisting Baekhyun’s hair so that he’s forced to look up. “That half-blood was a wildling. But you were wrong about one thing.” Sehun stands behind Siwon, looking at Baekhyun with utter betrayal. “Baekhyun definitely knew.”

“I…” Sehun’s face loses all colour. “I didn’t--”

Baekhyun growls at him as Siwon mutters a spell under his breath so that the loose chains around his wrist bind them together, and he’s brought to his feet.

“Silence.” Siwon backhands Baekhyun so that his eyes sting with tears, voice falling short. “I’m disappointed in you, Baekhyun. Evil has rotted your soul, swayed your path.”

“But I won’t be the one burning in the underworld.” He meets Siwon’s eyes, unwavering, unafraid. Siwon’s jaw tenses, finger lifting as if to strike him again. He doesn’t.

“Take him to the palace dungeons,” Siwon tells the wolves standing at Baekhyun’s back, holding his chains. “The King will have questions.”

As Baekhyun is shoved into the back of a carriage and chained to its floor, fear and terror sink into his stomach, a sense of dread blooming in his chest. Yet all he can seem to do is look through the gaps in the iron bars out at the forest treeline, hoping Jongdae is safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [dhole whistling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXHGlhrfLbQ) is super cool btw


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok disclaimer: main villain was chosen out of a) love b) how hot it is c) the fact that he actually has brain cells and d) so i can actually make the villain a character ok. no hate here. press F to pay respects to all hot villains out there.

* * *

 

It’s impossible to know how much time passes, when he’s kept in complete darkness. No food, no water, could be days, months, years or even seconds, adrenaline the only thing keeping him conscious. Is Jongdae alright? What will the King do with Baekhyun? What will happen to him?

When he finally sees light again, it hurts his eyes, flinching at the sight as it all blurs into focus and he’s met with Sehun’s torchlit face.

“The King will see you now,” he says coldly, opening the cell door. Baekhyun growls.

“Don’t touch me,” he spits, as Sehun reaches for his chains. “Traitor.”

“I’m the traitor?” Sehun asks, anger colouring his voice. Hurt, too. “When you’ve been… befriending the enemy? A sinner? After all the praise Keeper Siwon had to say about you--”

“What do you know of enemies, Sehun?” Baekhyun bites back. “You’ve been on three Hunts, you’ve never even killed a wildling. Look around you. You know Jongdae is just as human as the rest of us.”

Sehun’s jaw tenses, and he tugs on Baekhyun’s chains so that he’s forced to stumble up the stairs, barely strong enough to even breathe. His silence is unnerving, and it crushes Baekhyun’s chest. Why hasn’t the King just had him killed already?

Sehun leads Baekhyun up for what feels like miles, until the double doors are opened by two armored, human guards, bringing him to the throne room. Baekhyun is pushed to his knees.

“Thank you Sehun,” an unfamiliar voice says. “For your honesty and your loyalty. That will be all.”

Sehun, kneeling, nods before scurrying off, giving Baekhyun one last unreadable look before the giant double doors shut behind him. Baekhyun keeps his eyes to the floor, numb. He realises that the cold marble may be one of the last things he ever sees.

What does he have to fear then? Baekhyun drags his gaze up, taking in the raised dais with its embellished throne on top, circled by jade pillars that pierce through the floor to the arching roof above. Several Keepers in their white armor line the bottom step, and in the very centre of it all, sitting rigidly straight on his throne, is the King.

He looks… young. Younger than Baekhyun ever thought the King would look, considering he’s ruled over Greykeep since the First Ones. His face is youthful, his head shaved, but his eyes are colder than ice itself, a pale blue. He wears plain clothes with no crown. He looks so… human, nothing like the god he’s meant to be, tiny in his oversized throne.

“So you’re the traitorous wolf making play-nice with the wildlings.” King Minseok leans forward on his throne, elbows on his knees, hands folded. Baekhyun narrows his eyes and glares. Minseok only arches an eyebrow at his attitude. Siwon raises his hand to strike Baekhyun again, but Minseok’s simple gesture to cease stops him.

“Violence will get you nowhere Siwon,” Minseok says cooly, leaning back. “Once a person has made up their mind, it will only make them more defiant.” He nods at one of the guards standing at the edge of the throne room, and they bow quickly before disappearing. “Men always work better when there’s something pricier at stake than mere punishment.”

Baekbeom is brought into the room, and Baekhyun’s heart sinks.

“Baekhyun?” He looks to Baekhyun in the middle of the floor, the chains around his wrists. Baekhyun’s sunken heart breaks. “What’s going on?” He isn’t hurt, isn’t shackled or anything, but when he spots the King, he sinks to his knees. “Y-Your majesty.”

“Leave him out of this,” Baekhyun begs. “He didn’t know.”

Minseok smiles. “See?” He rises then, stepping down from the Dais and standing in front of Baekhyun. He’s so small, dressed in plain white robes with no crown, so unbecoming of a King. “Tell me, wolf, how did you meet this wildling?”

Baekhyun swallows, tracking the King’s movement as he paces in front of him, hands clasped behind his back. “He saved my life,” he answers. “During a Hunt.”

Minseok hums. He circles Baekhyun like a beast stalking helpless prey. “And did he whisper pretty nothings in your ears? About Hel? About their false gods?”

Baekhyun hesitates, swallowing. Across the throne room, Baekbeom meets his eyes, swimming with realisation and disappointment.

“Yes,” he says.

“And were you going to join him? Run off to hell to embrace the sin within you?”

“N-No… Of course not--”

“Lying will get you nowhere, wolf.”

“I didn’t want to leave Greykeep.” Baekhyun glances at his brother, then keeps his eyes down, squeezing them shut. Baekbeom doesn’t deserve to be hurt, not for Baekhyun’s mistakes. “That’s the truth.”

“How many secrets did you sell this wildling? What are they planning?”

“It wasn’t like that,” Baekhyun tries desperately. “We want to stop this war, not feed it.”

Minseok’s circle finally stops, his feet in Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun swallows and looks up, the King’s gaze icey and calculating.

“You want to stop the war?” His fingers hook beneath Baekhyun’s collar, tugging him forward. His hands are so cold they burn Baekhyun’s skin, searching Baekhyun’s face. He doesn’t look away. “Then you can.” He pushes Baekhyun down, leaving him confused. Minseok walks back up to his dais.

“This wildling trusts you, doesn’t he? Enough to sleep in your bed, to offer you sin.” Baekhyun’s eyes flit between Minseok on the throne, and a kneeling, silent Baekbeom near it. Minseok’s eyebrow arches, and the guards raise their swords. “I asked you a question.”

“...Yes,” Baekhyun relents. “He does.”

“You’re not the first wolf to be swayed by demons, Baekhyun,” Minseok continues. “But from what Keeper Siwon tells me, you’re too fine a wolf to lose. Hundreds of wildlings killed, and all on your own. Makes me wonder how only one had enough to sin to change your mind.”

Baekhyun swallows. Is that… is that all Jongdae was? Temptation?

“I’m not above redemption, Baekhyun. It’s not too late for you to redeem yourself. To save your soul--” Minseok’s ice blue eyes trail over to Baekbeom’s kneeling figure-- “And those of your family.”

Fear seizes Baekhyun’s body. He doesn’t want to be punished for eternity, and he certainly doesn’t want that for Baekbeom... Jongdae had made him think that maybe the gods were nothing more than fairy tales, but beneath the crushing weight of Minseok’s power, his magic suffocating the air out of the room, it’s hard to believe in anything _but_ him. Minseok is chosen by the gods themselves to rule Greykeep, and his power reflects that.

“If you are so tempted by Hel, wolf, then you will see it. You will crawl through the forest on your hands and knees and beg for this playmate of yours for refuge. You will earn their trust, learn their ways, discover their secrets, and on the 7th full moon from now, just before a blood moon rises, you will kill their King.

“Without him, the wildlings will fall into disarray. That is when we will strike and end this war once and for all.”

Baekhyun’s heart stops in his chest.

“If you fail,” Minseok continues. “If you slip up, if you waiver on your path and choose demons over redemption. Well.” All eyes in the room turn to Baekbeom’s kneeling form. “You know what will happen. Or you can take a guess.”

Baekbeom is shaking.

“Of course, your majesty.” Baekhyun prostrates forward, forehead to the ground. The feeling in his chest withers and dies, and Baekhyun succumbs. “Anything for my city. Anything for my King.” His voice sounds as dead as he feels. Or as dead as he will be, once this is all over.

Minseok huffs out a single breath of amusement. “I’m glad you understand.” He waves his hands. “Take him to the forest.”

Baekhyun is forced to his feet by a hand in his hair, and he manages to catch one last glimpse of a quivering, terrified Baekbeom being lead away by guards before he’s dragged out by his chains, forced down the palace steps and pushed into a carriage outside. He can’t make sense of the terror in his heart; just what sort of grievous mistake has he made?

As they steer away from the palace, the pressure of Minseok’s magic lets up, but Baekhyun can still feel it pushing down on him, swarming the air around him. Greykeep isn’t devoid of magic, it’s filled to the brim with it, and all of it comes from their King, stifling them, choking all power of the forest out of the air. Who was Baekhyun to think he could ever disobey such a force? Ever rise against it? Ever hope to _change_ it? Minseok’s word is the will of the gods themselves, and now Baekhyun is nothing more than a puppet in his collection.

If Baekhyun fails in his duty, Baekbeom will die, and the King will undoubtedly make sure that Baekhyun is killed, too. Or maybe not, maybe he’ll just be forced to live on with the knowledge that his own ignorance and foolishness caused his brother’s death, and he will rot in the underworld for eternity. If the wildlings ever found out his intentions… well, they’d probably kill him themselves, and Baekbeom will be punished for Baekhyun’s failed mission regardless.

And if Baekhyun succeeds? What then?

The carriage stops, and Baekhyun is pulled off, the chains unwound at his wrists by a disgruntled older Keeper, though the shackles remain, chainless, as does the collar at his throat, a reminder of who he belongs to, the King’s dragon seal branded over his heart. A wolf guard jabs his back with the butt of his spear; Baekhyun stumbles at the sharp push, his body weak from starvation and dehydration both, falling to his knees.

“The King doesn’t wait for you, traitor,” the wolf spits, and Baekhyun slowly climbs to his feet. “Hurry up.”

The forest looks dark and looming, without his magic heightened, Baekhyun is unnerved.

 _Come_ , it sings, _come home_.  

He glances over his shoulder at the impossibly tall Winter’s Hold, clawing the sky itself.

Baekhyun gulps. For Baekbeom.

He walks forward.

The forest wraps around him, and Greykeep disappears quickly, as the trees sing to him, asking for blood and welcoming him home. Baekhyun ignores them, eyes trained only to the ground his feet walks over, careful not to trip. He feels dizzy and barely there, like a single gust of wind could blow him away. Worry and fear for Baekbeom’s safety has him more scared than any tricks the forest might play, but the weak state of his body from being holed up and deprived of food and water has his head spinning.

Never mind it that Baekhyun doesn’t know where Hel is, can only glimpse up at the sun and head north, hoping to find water or shelter. It’s impossible in a forest that constantly shifts and grows and changes, rearranging his path and sending him in circles. Baekhyun walks for hours, delirious with fever and fear. As the sun sets and he lays down for rest, he can’t sleep, reliving only Minseok’s cold eyes and the last glimpse of his brother he may ever see.

Baekhyun shakes the thoughts away, crawling and pushing himself up. He refuses to fail so easily, he won’t allow it, he has to… has to figure out how to kill this King, how to save his brother.

When Baekhyun reaches a river, he collapses by it, gurgling mouthful after mouthful after mouthful until his stomach throws a lot of it back up in empty bile. Starvation, Baekhyun is used to, he can make it to Hel.

He thinks.

Days pass, or maybe time hasn’t moved at all, and Baekhyun’s sluggish wandering doesn’t change, stumbling over himself. The forest offers him food, but he doesn’t know what’s safe to eat and what isn’t. Jongdae told him not to trust the forest, after all --but, does Baekhyun even trust Jongdae? Is Jongdae really his friend, or just a demon sent to… to _ruin_ him…

The exhaustion becomes too much, and Baekhyun collapses on the ground, the world spinning around him. He’s going to fail before he’d even begun, his vision blurring.

His bandaged, shackled palm lies in front of his face, and Baekhyun falls to his last resort.

With what little strength he has left, he unwinds the bandage, scratching off part of the scab with his fingernails.

 _Please_ , he begs the forest, as his wound opens and a few drops of fresh blood fall onto the ground he lies on. _Save me_.

The wind sings for joy at the taste, the forest shifting and creaking in applause and cheers. The world goes black.

  
  
  
  


“Is he dead?”

“I wish.”

“How did a wolf even make it out here? It was a new moon a few days ago.”

“Is he… is he here to kill us?”

“He doesn’t look very deadly.” Baekhyun feels a toe poke his stomach, and stirs. “Oh great, he’s still conscious.”

Baekhyun opens his bleary eyes, and comes face to face with three wildlings. The tallest of the three, sporting harrier feathers, presses her foot down on his ribcage.

“Answer our questions, wolf. Why are you here?”

“Can’t-- breathe--” Baekhyun wheezes.

“Oh.” The girl lets up pressure. She clears her throat. “Now answer them.”

“I’m looking for Hel,” Baekhyun manages, his voice nothing more than a weak croak. “I’m seeking refuge.”

“A _wolf_ wants _refuge_?” The shortest --and youngest, judging by her baby face-- of the trio laughs. “I’m sorry but. Are we meant to believe that?”

“Yerim,” the last wildling scolds, frowning. Yerim rolls her eyes.

“Look at him!” She points, her stoat tail bristling. “He reeks of stolen magic. He’s a murderous savage.”

“If you could just-- if you could take me to Hel,” Baekhyun rambles, “I know a wildling-- Jongdae. He offered me refuge, he can vouch for me--”

“Jongdae?” the third wildling repeats, her tiger ears perked high on alert. The trio make wary eye-contact. “There’s no way…”

“You know him?” Baekhyun asks, delirious. “Please, I promise, I’m not-- I’m not lying.”

“He couldn’t just… happen to know that name, right?” Yerim’s voice is nervous.

“No,” the tiger wildling decides. “No, he couldn’t.”

The harrier wildling pulls Baekhyun to his feet by tugging at his shirt, and he stumbles at the sudden weight, blinking down as they tie his shackled hands together with twine, the magical chains having disappeared without Keeper magic, even though he doesn’t think his arms have enough strength in them to _do_ anything.

He bites his tongue to prevent himself from asking any further questions, figuring he’s pushing his boundaries enough as is. Wherever they are in the Black Forest, he doesn’t recognise it, the trees are so… different, so much older, there’s grass in place of dead leaves and shrubbery and birdsong everywhere. Magic floods the air and fills Baekhyun’s lungs with each breath, rejuvenating him. This is the true forest, he realises, the centre of life and magic, rather than its dead and starving outskirts, constantly battling the humans logging for growth.

“Where are we?” Baekhyun asks before he can stop himself. “The forest here, it’s so…” He listens to the blending harmonies, of sun and wind and sky, of bird calls and bubbling water and _life_. “...Loud.”

“You--” the harrier blinks at him. “--You hear its song?”

The trio exchange looks. _Again_.

“Okay, we _really_ need to take him to Hel,” the tigress announces. Baekhyun is pulled along by his rope, double-stepping to keep up. They walk for some time, and the trees begin to thin, the canopy peeling back to reveal a bright, clear blue sky. A hawk flies overhead, leaving a trail of pink light behind it, cawing, and Baekhyun is left in awe. Everything here is so lush and green and vivid and full of magic, overwhelmed with the hundreds of scents and sights and sounds.

But none of it compares to the sight of Hel itself, taking Baekhyun’s breath away. The forest clears, and Baekhyun sees the tall cliffs Hel sits upon, groupings of multicoloured trees with houses nestled in their breasts, water as clear as diamond flowing freely into the cloudy abyss below. The cliffs seem to almost float in the air, as the wildlings leap ahead to walk along the narrow, wooden bridge decorated with tall archways above its path.

“Hurry up..” The harrier tugs Baekhyun forward, and he follows, neck craning to take in every detail. He closes his eyes briefly, breathing in magic, warming him from the inside out. It’s gentle, like warm water or the touch of a mother he’s never known, reassuring, healing.

The way Baekhyun had imagined Hel isn’t half as beautiful as the real thing, with its tall, hollowed out trees teeming with life, hundreds of half-bloods moving through the village, unchained, uncollared. As Baekhyun is pulled through, he’s stared at, whispers carried by the wind to his ears. Baekhyun can’t stand the hatred and disgust in their eyes, so he keeps his gaze down.

The clustered treehouses begin to spread, and Baekhyun glances up to see he’s being lead to an open plaza centred by a tall oak tree with blood red leaves, hanging over the square. Other trees have grown around it, reaching to its branches, and it’s formed a wide open palace, where tens of wildlings are lined out throughout its outside courtyard, waiting to enter.

“Seulgi?” somebody suddenly asks. “What’re you doing here? You were meant to leave for your hunt at dawn.”

“We did,” the tigress, Seulgi, answers, stepping aside so that Baekhyun is in view. “But we found something.” Baekhyun looks up, and comes face to face with Kyungsoo, osprey feathers and all. “He said he knows Jongdae.”

“Jongdae?” Kyungsoo repeats, and Baekhyun watches the shock on Kyungsoo’s face turn to confusion, then realisation, subsequent horror, and finally a steely coldness. “Come.”

The crowd parts for Kyungsoo without him saying a word, and their whispers follow behind him, leaning over each other to watch the wolf be tugged into the palace, wondering how it got here to begin with. Inside, the court is decorated with woven vines, their golden flowers glowing in the lowlight. They wind around the trunks of each tree, dangling from their branches.

At the front and centre of the room the huge oak tree’s trunk meets the earth, and a lioness wildling stands before it, holding a tall staff the same colour as the tree behind her, decorated with feathers and beads. Her hair is braided behind her face, lined with wrinkles that show her worries --and her age. Still, she radiates power and magic even without having noticed Baekhyun yet, draped in furs that cloak her body and a large golden crown. This, Baekhyun knows without even being told, is the wildling Queen.

And behind her, looking bored and disinterested, is an unfocused Jongdae, his gaze drawn upwards to the flowers lining the ceiling, golden circlet back in place.

Two wildlings in front of the Queen argue over the price of something Baekhyun can’t quite hear from so far, being tugged ahead by the harrier, who follows Seulgi and Kyungsoo, Yerim skittering behind them.

“I _gave_ you _two_ whole antlers. That’s worth far more than a simple bundle of elderwood twigs--”

“Kyungsoo,” the Queen speaks up, the squabbling wildlings shutting up immediately at the sound of her voice as Kyungsoo pushes between them. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Seulgi, Yerim and Sooyoung found something on their morning hunt, your majesty.” Baekhyun is pushed into the open, falling to his knees pathetically as his strength crumbles, wincing. “A wolf.”

Jongdae’s gaze snaps forward, meeting Baekhyun’s eyes. Relief seems to make his shoulders drop, but then he swallows, biting his tongue as he looks towards the Queen.

“He claims to seek refuge, your majesty,” Seulgi says. “And spoke Prince Jongdae’s name.”

_Prince?_

Jongdae winces at that, Baekhyun is somehow unsurprised. Of _course_ Jongdae is royalty, with his regality and his poise, his easy charm and perfect stature… but at the same time, Jongdae is so wild, so carefree, nothing like the hard lines of his mother’s face or Minseok’s cold eyes. The gold circlet sits atop his head perfectly all the same.

The Queen turns. “Jongdae?” she asks, pointed.

“I know this wolf,” Jongdae confirms, golden eyes meeting Baekhyun’s. “He is no threat to Hel.”

Outrage bursts around them, and Baekhyun becomes aware of the audience they’ve amassed, countless wildlings having seen him dragged in and wanting to know the cause. They’re crowded all around the courtroom. The Queen stabs her staff down, causing a loud bang.

“Silence,” she commands, and her people obey. “What do you mean a wolf is no _threat?_ Do we not all smell the blood in his mouth?” A murmur of agreement passes through the hall.

“I was not lying, mother,” Jongdae replies, his calmness betrayed by the flexing of the tendons in his tattooed arms, jaw clenching. “Baekhyun is… a friend.”

Baekhyun’s chest inflates, but the small smile he and Jongdae share throughout the room is cut off by the Queen’s cold glare towards her son, her eyes a furious gold.

“Is this where you’ve been disappearing all these moons?” she asks. “To fraternize with the enemy?”

“Are the people of Greykeep not tieflings like us?” Jongdae argues. “How can one wolf be held accountable for the flaws of his society? He has a right to live just like any tiefling of Hel.”

The Queen’s fury is evident, but a whisper quickly passes through the room, dissecting Jongdae’s point. Baekhyun can hear them of course.

 _But he’s a murderer_.

“Baekhyun is--”

“ _The wolf_ ,” the Queen growls, causing Jongdae’s mouth to snap shut, her voice dripping with venom. “Can speak for himself.”

All eyes turn to Baekhyun then, and he falters at the attention, heart pounding. Can he lie before them all?

Can he lie to Jongdae?

“The King of Greykeep caught me smuggling Jongdae inside the city,” he begins, as honest as he can. The Queen’s rage and surprise at discovering her son has been to Greykeep is clear on her face, but it’s too late to stop now. “When they tried to arrest me, I escaped into the forest. I’ve wandered for many days in search of Hel, seeking refuge. I come bearing no ill intentions.” He bows his head, keeping it low, tail down, ears flattened. As submissive as a wolf can be. “I’ve killed many wildlings, and I have come to regret every single one. I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but I’m asking for it anyway.”

The Queen’s expression doesn’t soften in the slightest.

“We have no bed for you,” she says. “No place. No duties or need for a wolf seeking another chance one life too early.” Baekhyun gulps. “But since my son is so intent on vouching for you, then so be it.

“If one other vouches for this wolf to stay, then he shall stay. If no one has a place for this wolf amongst us, then he can crawl back to Greykeep on his hands and knees, and beg to his demonic King for forgiveness he does not deserve.”

Jongdae freezes in place, looking entirely caught off-guard.

“Well?” his mother arches an eyebrow. But there are only whispers, no one dares to speak in the place of a wolf.

“What’re you planning on doing with him, Prince?” a voice demands, anonymous in the crowd. “No tiefling with half their mind would help a wolf!”

“Yeah!!” someone else agrees. “Not even the shamans would take him!!”

“I don’t _know_ ,” Jongdae snaps at them, growling. Baekhyun looks down. “He can sleep in my own bed for all I care, eat my food, maybe become prince! At least I’m not heartless enough to feed him to the forest just because he’s a wolf.”

Murmurs travel through the hall, most wildlings looking sheepish in front of their Prince, but still no one vouches for him. Baekhyun searches the sea of faces that stare at him, assorted wildlings of every animal and size, and dread numbs his veins.

Then, just as Baekhyun is coming to realise that neither Hel nor Greykeep will take him, the crowd parts, and a snake steps forth.

“I’ll vouch for his place,” he says. Baekhyun is unable to tear his eyes away from the dark blue scales tracking beneath the wildlings eyes and down his neck, his eyes a piercing green and slitted. Whoever this snake wildling is, everyone looks shocked that he’d take Baekhyun --even Jongdae, before it melts away into relief. The Queen herself looks angered at the front of the room, jaw set.

“Very well, Junmyeon,” she says through her teeth. “You shall make a place for this wolf, but since you have such little understanding of responsibility, _Prince_ , this wolf will be yours. Any mistakes he make shall be your mistakes, any failures will be _your_ failures. If this wolf does not live up to Junmyeon’s expectations, then that will be on your hands.” The Queen steps forward, a good head under Baekhyun, but still so much larger than him. “And if you threaten this place or its people, know that you will never find peace, wolf. Not in this life or the next.”

Baekhyun bows his head down, ears flattened.

“The shackles may be removed, but the collar stays,” the Queen tells them. “The people of Hel will know what walks among them because of you, Jongdae. The King will not be happy.”

Jongdae raises his chin, defiant. “The King isn’t here.”

The Queen scowls. “Get this dog out of my sight.”

The crowd is in outrage immediately, shouting against the inclusion of a wolf, but Jongdae doesn’t hesitate before marching forward, kneeling in front of Baekhyun. There’s a dagger strapped to his thigh that he unholsters, using it to slice through the rope binding Baekhyun’s wrists. Jongdae ignores their audience.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Baekhyun rubs the red marks left behind on his hands. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”

Jongdae shakes his head, placing the dagger back in its hold. His golden circlet twinkles in the late afternoon sun peeking through the gaps in the tree branches.

“You’re a Prince,” Baekhyun says, realisation sinking through his stomach like a weight around his ankle, drowning him. “You’re… _the_ Prince…”

“I’m much more of a figurehead, really,” Jongdae jokes, though his voice is strained. “Hel is very democratic.”

And if Jongdae is a part of the royal family, then…

“I shouldn’t have come here,” Baekhyun says. “I’m-- I’ve given you a great burden.”

“No, no no don’t ever think that.” Jongdae cups Baekhyun’s face, tilting his chin up. “It’s my fault you’re here. If I’d never come to Greykeep, if I’d never gotten caught, you’d never had to have left Baekbeom, I--” his voice cracks, throat bobbing as he swallows. “--I’m so sorry, Baekhyun.”

“It’s no one’s fault but my own.” Because really, it is, if Baekhyun had been more careful, none of this ever would have happened. He could be at home with Baekbeom now as though nothing had changed, and Jongdae would be in Hel. Safe. Familiar.

But now everything has changed, and Baekhyun’s life --and his brother’s-- depends on it.

“I wasn’t thinking, when I came here,” Baekhyun continues. “About how they might see me…”

“You didn’t get a chance to think because you had no choice,” Jongdae counters, a hand on the back of Baekhyun’s neck, a soothing, warm weight anchoring him. “And despite everything that lead to this… I’m glad you’re here.” He stands, offering his hand out.

Baekhyun takes it.

Junmyeon steps towards them, unbothered by the unrest in the room.

“Bring him to me by sunset.” Junmyeon speaks quietly, like he know he doesn’t have to be loud to be heard. His slitted green eyes pierce through Baekhyun’s skin. Jongdae nods.

“Thank you,” he says, before he leads Baekhyun out of the room, while the crowd struggles to return to its orderly line from before when it’s still arguing and gossiping amongst itself. Baekhyun can feel the Queen’s eyes on his back the whole way.

Outside, Kyungsoo is waiting for them, leaning against a nearby tree with his arms folded, looking so enraged that a vein in his forehead has popped out. He storms towards Baekhyun as soon as he sees him, making him flinch, but Kyungsoo only looks at him with disgust before he hikes up Baekhyun’s shirt, showing his purpled scar, then shoving him back so that he stumbles to remain standing.

Kyungsoo grits his teeth, glaring at Jongdae. “You said you killed him.”

Jongdae doesn’t waver. “I lied.”

Kyungsoo’s fury reeks into the magic around him, the smell acrid in Baekhyun’s nose, but all he does is give Baekhyun one last glare before storming away, leaving them alone. Jongdae sighs.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun repeats. “I--”

“Don’t apologise,” Jongdae cuts him off, stern. “Don’t _ever_ apologise to me, okay? You have a right to be here just as I do.”

Baekhyun swallows, his chest feeling so full it might burst. He nods.  “It’s more beautiful than I imagined,” he admits, glancing around at the tall trees. The wind sings around him. “It’s so… alive.”

Jongdae smiles at him, eyes curved. “C’mon.” He begins walking forward. “You must be starving and exhausted.”

He’s right --only magic and fear itself has kept Baekhyun standing, but he uses what little strength he has left to follow Jongdae through the village, rubbing at his hands the entire time he does. They still hurt from the rope burn, but being here, in the forest, with his metal cuffs… It’s a poignant reminder.

Jongdae leads him through the village stubbornly, ignoring the stares as he does so while Baekhyun keeps his head down, until eventually the wildlings disappear and they’re in the forest, a clearing where a few wildlings are scattered about, plucking at the ripe fruit growing on persimmon trees and putting it into their wicker baskets.

“Here.” Jongdae scales a tree with ease, plucking a persimmon from its branches and dropping down. “Eat.” Baekhyun takes it gingerly, like it’s made of gold rather than flesh. “It’s grown in the forest, so it should help your body heal with magic.”

Baekhyun bites into it, juices running down his chin. It’s sweet and brings a moan to his mouth, not even realising how much he’d been missing food. His tail starts wagging before he can stop it, continuing to devour the fruit.

“Puppy,” Jongdae teases fondly, watching as Baekhyun demolishes it down to its fibrous core, feeling the magic of the forest even in the fruit, rejuvenating him.

“Can I have another?” he asks shyly.

“Of course.” Jongdae glances up. “Just ask nicely.”

Baekhyun thinks Jongdae is joking, until he makes no attempt to move. Closing his eyes and inhaling, opening his palms, Baekhyun asks nicely.

 _Please_ , he tells the forest, _I’m hungry_.

A persimmon drops into his hands. Jongdae laughs in delight.

“I _knew_ it,” he says. “I knew the forest favours you.”

Baekhyun rushes to swallow his greedy bite. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re meant to be here, Baekhyun, no matter what my mother says.” Jongdae places a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, squeezing. “And we’ll find a new home for you, I promise.”

Something lodges itself in Baekhyun’s throat, making it hard to breathe. His eyes begin to sting, thinking of Baekbeom, but he blinks the tears away. Maybe it means the forest likes him because he’s spilt so much blood in its name, over and over and over.

“The forest here is so different,” he tells Jongdae, placing a hand on the trunk of the tree that had given him fruit. He closes his eyes, thanking it. The wind nudges him in return, rustling his hair and the fur of his ears.“It’s not… hungry. Not like it is near Greykeep.”

“It’s not as starved,” Jongdae answers. “Magic is free, here, and all life taken is given back. The forest gives willingly, because it knows it will be repaid.” Jongdae grins. “Still just as worthy of being feared, however.”

Baekhyun grunts in agreement, his gaze trailing back towards the cliffs of Hel nestled between the trees.

“That wildling… the snake…”

“Tiefling,” Jongdae corrects.

“Tiefling,” Baekhyun tries, still testing out the syllables and trying not to fear them. “Junmyeon. Who is he?”

“He’s a weaponsmith,” Jongdae answers. “He makes almost every bow and dagger in Hel. I… have to admit, he was the last person I expected to vouch for you. He’s so well-respected, every tiefling wants to be his apprentice.”

“Sounds intimidating.”

“Just a little.” Jongdae smiles. “But he’s a good person. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot.”

All the customs and culture of Hel… Baekhyun is just expected to learn all of it, to fit in seamlessly to earn his place. It seems impossible, but Jongdae’s sincere smile shows that he truly believes Baekhyun will be able to. So he’ll try. At least for him, and at least for Baekbeom.

At least for now.

“You know Junmyeon well?”

“I know everybody,” Jongdae replies. “I’m the Prince. It’s sort of my job.”

“Right.” How could Baekhyun forget, when he’s been sent here to kill his King? “Right…”

“I wish I could help you more myself, but I think my mother would rather die a thousand deaths than have a wolf disrupt my ‘royal duties’.”

“You’ve done enough.” Baekhyun squeezes Jongdae’s wrist. “Really.”

Jongdae smiles. “Your hands are sticky.” Baekhyun lets go, embarrassed. “I’ll take you to the springs.”

Baekhyun asks for a few more persimmons to devour en route to the springs, where the singing river branches off into thin bubbling creeks. Baekhyun drinks the magic-infused water easily, thirst finally diminishing. Jongdae watches him, tail flicking side-to-side.

“What?” Baekhyun asks.

“Nothing.” Jongdae shakes his head. “It’s just… you’ll need new clothes, weapons, gear, get those awful shackles off… But you could get tattoos now, maybe cut your hair a little.” His fingers push over Baekhyun’s scalp to prove a point, sending shivers down Baekhyun’s spine as he resists the urge to lean into the brief touch. “It’s going to be so different but… I think it will suit you. Hel will suit you.”

Baekhyun doesn’t agree, because every single tiefling in the village had looked at him with scorn, and he can’t imagine that ever changing. He doesn’t say it, though.

As the sun begins to set, they make their way back into the village, where Jongdae gives a brief tour describing where everything is. The Blood Tree --the courtroom from before, where the royal family take audiences to help fulfill requests. Rather than be sectioned with districts and order Hel is entirely haphazard, as Jongdae points out numerous treehouses all of which are home to the wildlings within them that are known for various skill sets.

There’s Seulgi, the huntress, the tigress from before --the Queen herself asks for game from Seulgi, because she always finds the best mark. The skin of her kills are given to Chanyeol, the tanner, who makes the strongest hide --Jongdae’s own tunic is from him, he explains. Then Joohyun the seamstress, or Jongin with the softest furs, or Hyoyeon who knows how to make musical instruments, Yoona who knows where the best fruit can be found, Yixing the shaman that can heal any wound. And at the end of the day, everyone knows how to do everything themselves anyway, some are just better than others. The list of names and their specialties is dizzying and confusing, slipping in through one ear and out the other, but it illustrates Hel perfectly. Hel isn’t a society, it’s a _community_ , and Baekhyun has no hope of surviving if he doesn’t prove himself worthy of being included.

At last Jongdae stops in front of a thick redwood, a doorway embedded in the foot of its trunk.

“And this is Junmyeon’s home,” Jongdae explains. “The master weaponsmith. My brother had him make me my bow for my twenty-first summer. I still use it to this day.”

Baekhyun swallows. “And I’m… meant to work for him? To earn my place?”

Jongdae offers him a shrug. “The best way to learn is by doing.” He knocks on the door.

“Enter.”

The redwood had been huge on the outside, but inside its hollow only seems to accentuate how large it is, a winding staircase spiraling up its walls connecting to different levels that seem to go on for miles. Junmyeon walks down them now, wiping at his oil-covered hands with a rag.

“Prince,” he greets.

“Junmyeon.” Jongdae claps his hands together in front of his face and closes his eyes, a gesture Baekhyun doesn’t understand, but Junmyeon obviously does, given by the way his face softens. “I am indebted to you.”

“Your wolf is indebted to me,” Junmyeon corrects.

“His debt is my debt.” Jongdae’s tail flicks. “I am at your disposal.”

“I’ll collect at a later time.” Junmyeon waves his hands. He glances at Baekhyun, whose ears flick under his pinning gaze. “I haven’t decided if your wolf is staying or not.”

Baekhyun sinks to one knees. “I’ll earn my place and repay your favour.”

“Stand, wolf,” Junmyeon chastises. “In Hel we do not kneel.”

Baekhyun does as he’s told, exchanging a worried glance with Jongdae.

“You should get back to the Queen Mother,” Junmyeon tells him. “I’m sure she has an earful for you.”

Jongdae grimaces in agreement. “Will you be okay…?” He touches Baekhyun’s forearm gently, who nods. Jongdae gives him a small smile before thanking Junmyeon again and slipping away, then it’s just Baekhyun and the snake.

“Do you know how to cook?” Baekhyun shakes his head. “Carve?” No. “Polish?” No. “Is there anything you’re good at?”

“...Tracking,” Baekhyun answers after some thought. “Hunting.”

Junmyeon huffs through his nose, amused. “As a wolf maybe, but without the moon?”

Baekhyun withers. “I’ve never tried.”

Junmyeon sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re like a child wanting to run but you’ve never learnt how to walk.”

Baekhyun’s pride prickles, it’s been squashed and beaten on repeatedly, this last week, but the magic has healed him and he feels strong again, so now it only hurts _more_.

“Then why offer to teach me?” he asks, watching Junmyeon carefully. “Jongdae said every tiefling in Hel would die to learn your craft.”

“And they would,” Junmyeon confirms. “But don’t get me wrong, wolf, you are not my apprentice. I will feed you, I will give you a roof, clothing, warmth, but you will spend the rest of your life in Hel repaying that debt as a servant to me if I deem it necessary.”

Baekhyun grits his teeth. “Baekhyun,” he half-growls. “My name is Baekhyun.”

“You will have your name back once you’ve earned it.” Junmyeon doesn’t flinch despite the flare of Baekhyun’s magic, or the stench of blood in his mouth, he doesn’t even so much as blink. Baekhyun stops growling, embarrassed to have even tried to gain any sort of leverage --dumb wolf instinct. “I assume you at least know how to clean?”

Baekhyun nods, shirking into his shoulders. “Yes.”

“Good.” Junmyeon gestures vaguely to the cluttered ground floor, then tosses a rag at Baekhyun. “Your repayment starts now.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [more wonderful fanart](https://twitter.com/chen_gzi/status/1141708066548662273) i'm being SPOILED.... theyre in LOVE

* * *

 

Earning a place in Hel, Baekhyun learns, is thankless work. 

Not that he’s surprised. He works all evening trying to make sense of the clutter and filth surrounding Junmyeon’s house while being banned from the upper levels, and each time he places something somewhere it doesn’t belong Junmyeon scolds it for him whenever he comes downstairs to check. His frustration is remedied quickly by the roast meat Junmyeon cooks in the fireplace at the centre of the room, although the silence as they eat is stilted and awkward. 

Baekhyun sleeps in a sleepskin laid out underneath one of the stairwells, beyond exhausted, though he doesn’t rest. Instead, he stares at the neverending column of the redwood, tossing and turning, thinking of Baekbeom and drowning in his worries. At dawn Junmyeon has him repeat the process all over again. 

“Up,” he orders. “You haven’t finished cleaning.”

Baekhyun had imagined his time in Hel would be more wild than this, but Junmyeon doesn’t even let him out of the redwood house. He declutters the ground level and rearranges everything and cleans all the furniture with oiled rags and once he thinks he’s finally done Junmyeon just tells him to clean the floor above it. 

There are three floors of curved platforms in the redwood above the ground floor, each more filthy than the last, with all of Junmyeon’s work lying about. Oils for polishing wood and animal bones and broken antlers and half-finished bows or half-fletched arrows everywhere. It presents a different side to the poised, ruthless snake Junmyeon had appeared to be, rather he’s… really just a mess, a creative, overworking mess who gets discouraged on his own projects too quickly. 

It actually makes Baekhyun laugh a little at one stage when he picks up a dagger handle with no blade, which is when he decides he’s officially going stir-crazy.

“Please let me go outside,” he blurts one night at dinner. Junmyeon laughs, though he coughs to cover it up. Baekhyun narrows his eyes.

“We’ll go get you more clothes tomorrow,” Junmyeon says, and relief is dumped over Baekhyun’s head like rain in a drought. “And take you to the springs. You reek of wolf and sweat.”

“I’ve been working endlessly cleaning up  _ your _ mess for days,” Baekhyun mutters. 

“Well, somebody had to do it.”

“Is that why you vouched for me?” he asks. “Because no wildling in all of the Black Forest would clean up for you?”

“Tiefling,” Junmyeon corrects. “And no. It wasn’t.”

He doesn’t elaborate.

Baekhyun is once again kicked at dawn, but he knows better than to roll over and grumble by now, simply pushing himself up and rubbing at his puffy eyes. He doesn’t sleep well, always too lost in his thoughts. Remembering the prospect of a bath and new clothing, his tail begins to wag. 

Junmyeon doesn’t cook a breakfast though, just instructs Baekhyun to hold his hands out and pulls out a very small silver knife, shocking Baekhyun. Its the purest of metals, a weakness to demons and magic both, and Junmyeon tears it through the pins holding Baekhyun’s shackles in place around his wrists and ankles. Just like that, the magic breaks, the shackles falling to the ground and quickly rusting and turning to dust. Baekhyun rubs his pale wrists in disbelief, unused to the feeling ever since having become a fully-fledged wolf. It’s intoxicating, and equally as dreadful. Is this the price Baekhyun has paid? The illusion of freedom over a pretense of lies, momentary reprieve as his brother suffers in his stead?

The collar at his throat seems suffocating now.

Junmyeon drags Baekhyun through the still-waking town to the springs in the forest, handing him a pumice stone and a lump of soap and instructing him to scrub. Baekhyun does so obediently, clearing the dead skin off his body as if shedding it entirely and washing through his hair, ear, and tails. It’s scented with honey and makes him smell sweet, and while Baekhyun is unused to it, he’s kind of unused to  _ everything _ here, so he pays it no mind. 

He understands Junmyeon having him bathe at dawn, however, because when they return to Hel the village is bustling with wildlings bartering and arguing and talking with each other, all of them stopping to stare as Baekhyun passes. It’s like he’s a rock disturbing the water’s surface and sending never-ending ripples throughout it; he hates the feeling, huddling closer to Junmyeon. Part of him aches for some familiar comfort, his brother’s reassuring touch or even Jongdae telling him he’ll do okay, but Baekhyun doesn’t deserve comfort.

Junmyeon stops at a tall maple tree, where a house has grown between its branches, knocking at the door.

“Coming!!!” calls a voice from within, a vague noise of clutter, a loud thump, a deep voice saying  _ ow _ and then the door opens.

A tall fox wildling looks at Baekhyun.

“Absolutely not.”

The door slams shut.

Junmyeon sighs. Knocking again. It peeks open a crack.

“Chanyeollie,” he says gently. “Somebody has to dress him.”

“Make it yourself!!”

“You know I’m awful at sewing.” The door cracks open a little bit further. “I’ll prick my finger with the needle a thousand times and then I’ll bleed out and die and it will be your fault.”

It opens completely, and Chanyeol groans. “You are  _ so  _ dramatic.”

Junmyeon just smiles all smug and steps through. Baekhyun stands on the doorstep, mouth slightly agape, not sure what he’s witnessing.

“Well?” Chanyeol flaps his arm inside. “Come in. Don’t kill me, preferably...”

“He doesn’t bite,” Junmyeon assures, sitting on one of the stools in the open room. He gestures for Baekhyun to stand in the centre of the open space, while Chanyeol rummages through a nearby chest. He hits his head on the lid and yelps, walking over to Baekhyun with his arms full of leathers.

“Clothing for a murderer.” Chanyeol scoffs, dumping the pile of leather scraps on the floor. “You owe me big for this one Junmyeon.”

Baekhyun just watches Junmyeon roll his eyes. “I’ll make you a skinning knife.”

“I already  _ have _ a skinning knife.”

“Then I’ll make you a better one.”

“You made this one.” Chanyeol gestures to said skinning knife sticking out of his belt.

“Three summers ago,” Junmyeon continues. “So I can make you a better one.” 

“I don’t want another knife when this one is perfectly fine.”

“Then what do you want?”

Chanyeol sighs. “Undress,” he tells Baekhyun, who scrambles to obey. “I don’t know, Junmyeon. A fallen star? A fragment of the moon? Do you know how much stolen magic I’m breathing in right now just standing here?”

Baekhyun withers.

“Believe me, I know. It’s stinking up my whole house.” Junmyeon huffs. “If you don’t want me to repay it, you can always ask the wolf to do something for you.”

Chanyeol squirms even standing facing Baekhyun, refitting the leathers to his body and pinning them together. Baekhyun is used to most clothing just being in a general size and hoping it will fit; it seems Chanyeol isn’t a master of his craft for nothing. 

“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that,” Chanyeol answers, as if Baekhyun isn’t right in front of him. “I mean??? What is he even good at doing?? Unless I need somebody murdered I don’t think he’ll be of much help.”

Baekhyun withers further.

“He’s not bad at cleaning,” Junmyeon offers.

“Yeah well, not every tiefling alive is as much of a slob as you. Off.” Baekhyun hurries to pull the leather tunic Chanyeol had pinned around him off, handing it to Chanyeol, who frowns and then kneels, pinning the scraps around Baekhyun’s legs. 

“Well then talk to Jongdae,” Junmyeon says. “Apparently this wolf’s debt is very transferrable.” 

Chanyeol smirks. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Once he’s measured leathers to Baekhyun’s body, he stitches them together quickly with a strange delicate ease that clashes against his large hands, bushy fox tail twitching the whole time. He cuts off the excess scraps and stitches up the rest until Baekhyun has his very own sleeveless tunic, hugging his chest and draping over his thighs with matching leather leggings, folded neatly in his arms. 

“Take them to Joohyun to line them,” Chanyeol instructs. “And good luck with all these favours you’ll owe, Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon bids him goodbye, Baekhyun double-stepping to catch up, out the maple and back into the village.

“I’m sorry,” he says as they continue walking, tail tucked between his legs. “I’m a burden.”

“Don’t apologise,” Junmyeon scolds. “Self-pity gets you nowhere. Prove to me that choosing to save your life was the right choice.”

  
  
  
  
  


Joohyun’s soft velveteen rabbit ears do nothing to take the edge off her blatant glare when Junmyeon shows up on her doorstep, and it takes a lot of bartering before Junmyeon promises her a new bow to gift Seulgi that she’ll line Baekhyun’s leathers with fur to stop them from chafing against his skin and to keep him warm in the cold. With his tattered, filthy linen shirt and torn pants finally discarded Baekhyun feels whole in his new leathers, the form fitting to his body well and aiding mobility. It would almost make him feel like a wildling, chainless, if there weren’t a collar at his throat and his skin wasn’t so bare. Everyone here has tattoos, even Junmyeon --between patches of navy scales.

He’s at least grateful that he doesn’t have a deep V-neck tunic like Jongdae, or an open vest like Junmyeon, displaying King Minseok’s brand over his heart. Maybe Chanyeol had done that on purpose. 

Baekhyun had kept silent and obedient even as the wildlings called him a murderer and treated him like scum, but it’s easy to dissociate away when his curiosity burns. He wants to see more of Hel, wants to see more of the forest, wants to learn how to hunt and carve and make things for himself. Wants to see how these treehouses are built and more than anything he wants to see Jongdae, but no matter how hard he looks, he’s nowhere to be seen. Baekhyun doubts it’s a coincidence. 

  
  
  
  
  


At dinner, Baekhyun finally cracks. 

“When will I be able to hunt for myself?” he asks, tearing into the meat Junmyeon had served him, tail wagging. It grates on him, the dependency, the helplessness. His exhaustion is constant and his dread never-ending, so Baekhyun focuses on earning his place in Hel to keep himself together, gaining their trust, learning their secrets. The rest of his problem, well… that’s for later. Right now he just needs to handle everything one step at a time, and Baekhyun wants his name back. 

“Probably when you learn how to hunt,” Junmyeon answers flatly, picking at his food. Baekhyun frowns.

“No one in Hel wants anything to do with me,” he says. “Today made that clear.”

Junmyeon hesitates, if only for a split second. “They’ll change their minds,” he assures. “Eventually. Be patient. You’ve only been here a week.”

His reassurance is touching, in the strangest of ways.

“Did you change your mind?” Baekhyun asks.

“Wasn’t anything to change,” Junmyeon answers. “Now go clean up.”

  
  
  
  
  


While Baekhyun is somewhat well-adjusted to the foot in his stomach and his duties shadowing Junmyeon for the day, the horns are new. 

They make him frantic, scrambling to the cut-out window to see what the fuss is all about. In Greykeep, sounds like a horn blowing are used to signal fires and other dangers --like  _ wildlings _ \-- but a glimpse out reveals the village is intact.

Junmyeon walks down the stairs with a yawn, rubbing at his eyes. “Don’t panic,” he tells Baekhyun lazily. “It just means the King is returning. You should get dressed.”

Baekhyun does as he’s told. “Where did he go?”

“Every new moon he makes a pilgrimage to honour the forest,” Junmyeon explains, succinct as always. He opens the front door. “Come.”

It seems the whole village has awoken to welcome their King back, sleepy children kept in the arms of their parents as wildlings line the central path around the Blood Tree. The Queen stands at the end of it, expectant, with Jongdae at her side. It’s a relief to see him again, in the sea of madness that is wildlings trying to push closer to the front, jostling each other. As if sensing his gaze, Jongdae turns, finding Baekhyun’s eyes at the back and smiling. Baekhyun returns it.

Just as the sun rises, the King and his… what? Guard? Finally arrive, the people cheering as he does so. It’s hard for Baekhyun to see him clearly as the crowd aggregates closer while finding a way to ostracize Baekhyun out, every wildling avoiding touching him. He stands on his tiptoes anyway, craning to see.

The King is accompanied by three wildlings Baekhyun can only assume to be shamans, with their strange decorated staffs and long robes. As he nears the Queen, the crowd finally stills, all bowing their heads with their palms clapped together in front of them. Baekhyun blinks, confused, and over the sea of low heads, the King turns to look, confusion passing over his features before Baekhyun scrambles to follow suit with the same gesture, heart pounding. 

The King bows before his mother, and she extends her hand, which he presses against his own forehead. “I’ve returned,” he says, the village so quiet it can be heard as clear as day.

“My son,” the Queen greets fondly, and then the King straightens up, and the crowd ceases their mass gesture, allowing Baekhyun to look up properly to see. The King looks a lot like his mother, though taller, with the same golden eyes and lion features, but he also looks like Jongdae, identical cheekbones. They have the same sort of warmth.

“Jongdae.” The King nods at Jongdae, who looks more than a little disgruntled about having to be awake at dawn to welcome his brother home.

“Jongdeok,” Jongdae replies with a flat amount of forced respect. Jongdeok turns to address the crowd.

“Tieflings of Hel,” he announces, voice loud and confident, engaging. “I have returned safely with the blessing of the forest, promising another bountiful lunar cycle. This season is a blessing to all of us. May the coming Winter be merciful.”

The crowd cheers, happy to have heard the good news, and just like that, they begin to disperse, walking back to their dwellings to sleep more or continue their duties. Junmyeon had slipped into the crowd upon arrival, leaving Baekhyun to the outskirts, and he scans their faces now, looking for him.

“Wolf,” a voice calls, as Baekhyun is wandering the plaza hopelessly. He turns, seeing the Queen beside him with a nervous-looking Jongdae and an unimpressed King. “Come here,” the Queen orders.

Baekhyun does as he’s told, making that same gesture from before that the crowd had made --the right choice, given by Jongdae’s small, relieved smile.

“Your majesty,” Baekhyun greets, keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

Jongdeok doesn’t even pretend to hide his scowl. “Explain.”

“He came to Hel seeking refuge,” Jongdae answers. “As is his right.”

“He’s a wolf.”

“And the sun rises in the east,” Jongdae retorts, sardonic. “You are filled with observational skills.”

“Every new moon I leave expecting your attitude to have gotten better, yet it never does.”

Jongdae growls in the back of his throat.

“ _ Boys _ ,” their mother scolds. “Enough squabbling. If I wanted parrots instead of children I would have gone in the forest to get some thirty summers ago.”

Both sons wither, their cat ears drooping. “Sorry mother,” they say in unison. 

“I only struggle to understand why a wolf has been let in,” Jongdeok implores.

“Your brother vouched for him, as did Junmyeon.” She doesn’t look very happy about the explanation even as she gives it. 

Baekhyun is used to being obedient and silent as wildlings discuss his awfulness like he isn’t even there, but with Jongdae nearby he feels braver. “I will earn my place,” he adds, holding his chin high and meeting Jongdeok’s golden eyes, remembering Junmyeon’s words about self-pity. “And repent for the sins I have made in the past.” It’s a childish instinct, but he wants to prove to all the tieflings of Hel that a wolf is not worthless, that their prejudice against them is unfounded.

Jongdeok holds his gaze. Baekhyun looks away.

“Fine,” the King says snidely. “But you owe me an explanation.” He jabs a finger at Jongdae. “For now, I need to sleep.”

Baekhyun knows a dismissal when he sees one, slinking away as the royal family retire to their palace in the Blood Tree. Jongdae glances back over his shoulder and meets Baekhyun’s eyes, mouthing  _ thank you _ at him before disappearing. Thank you? For what? Baekhyun wants to ask, but Jongdae is already out of reach again.

He sighs.

He can’t see Junmyeon in the crowd, so Baekhyun returns to the redwood house instead, knowing the way even if he feels uncomfortable about wandering Hel unaccompanied. Junmyeon is in his workshop, oiling up the bow he’d promised Joohyun. Baekhyun stands on the step and waits for instruction, as obedient as always. 

“Why are you up here?” Junmyeon eventually asks without even looking up. “I need you downstairs sorting the wood and taking orders.”

Taking orders? Baekhyun blinks.

“You… want me to talk to people?” 

“Are you not capable of it?” Junmyeon’s lips tug upwards, clearly amused. 

“No! No… but…” Baekhyun has watched plenty of wildlings knock on Junmyeon’s door and make requests for new tools and instruments, and each time Junmyeon had bartered with them for the right price, Baekhyun staying in the corner cleaning, trying to remain as out of sight as possible. “...The repayment…”

It’s a strange thing really, this wildling system of equal exchange, favour for favour. It would never work in a city like Greykeep --it’s just too big, and the chain of production for items is too long. Their more complicated technology requires too many masters at too many stages of the process for simple favour-for-favour.

But for Hel, it works. Though Baekhyun has been trying his best to gauge the worth of things, it’s near impossible. One day Junmyeon accepts a pair of antlers for an oak bow, the next day he takes three whole deerskins for a yew one. It makes Baekhyun dizzy to try and think about it. 

“You can only learn by doing, wolf,” Junmyeon says. Baekhyun sighs, tail drooping, and heads downstairs.

Every wildling that comes in refuses to talk to Baekhyun, until he insists that Junmyeon is busy in his workshop and takes their request. He has to memorise what they want from what material and exactly who wants it, so that Junmyeon can gauge sizing. It’s a long list of words and names Baekhyun doesn’t know but tries his best to.

The hardest part is bartering.

“A first dagger for a deer skin is ridiculously underpriced,” Junmyeon chastises. “A hunter’s first dagger will become their most prized possession even as it withers.” Baekhyun’s ears droop. “And seven rabbits for a bronze sword is  _ overpriced _ , I’ll need to apologise to Teuk for that.” 

“...Sorry,” Baekhyun apologises, gritting his teeth. “If I’m so terrible at it maybe I shouldn’t do it at all.”

“I’ve told you before, wolf, self-pity won’t help you.” Junmyeon waves his hands. “Go clean up from dinner.”

Baekhyun does, as always, but his anger is burning and can no doubt be smelled by Junmyeon upstairs. He’s so frustrated, the constant patronising, the ridicule, the humiliation. His wolf pride is bruising and battered and Baekhyun hasn’t even heard his own name been spoken in weeks by anyone other than Jongdae --he’s starting to favour the cruel kindness of the Keepers over  _ this _ . At least they treated him with some ounce of capability and respect.

He misses Baekbeom.

He tries not to dwell on it, but it bothers him even as he lies down to sleep, keeping him awake. The humiliation burns his blood, and his pride is too wounded to stop throbbing. 

A shadow passes over the moonlight streaming in through the ground floor window, and it puts Baekhyun on high alert, the apparent guard dog he now is. Ears perked up, he stalks towards the shut covers, slowly swinging it open. Nothing. 

A face drops down from above the cut-out, and Baekhyun yelps.

“ _ Shhh _ ,” Jongdae drops down to crawl through and puts his hands over Baekhyun’s mouth, making him blink. “You’ll wake Junmyeon up.” 

Baekhyun pushes Jongdae’s hands back, disgruntled. “What’re you doing here?”

“Visiting you,” Jongdae whispers. “I didn’t think a puppy could be such a scaredy-cat.”

His teasing smirk just makes Baekhyun growl. He  _ hates _ being surprised. 

Jongdae goes back to the windowsill, jerking his chin outwards. “Walk with me?” 

“...Am I allowed?” 

“You’re a free wolf now, aren’t you Baekhyun?” Jongdae holds his hand out. Baekhyun has never been so relieved to hear his own name. “Come on.”

Baekhyun takes it, following him through the windowsill, leaving a crack open behind it. Jongdae stretches in the open air, yawning.

“Sorry for not visiting earlier,” he starts as they walk through the village beneath the moonlight. The glowing flowers with their curling vines lighting the way. “Mother had me on a tight leash after everything that happened, and she used her allowing you here against me…” Baekhyun withers. “But with Jongdeok back, she’s preoccupied. Besides--” his tail flicks playfully-- “I thought throwing you into the deep end might be more fun.”

“It’s been terrible.” Baekhyun grimaces. Jongdae laughs.

“Junmyeon isn’t that bad, is he?”

“...No,” Baekhyun admits, because he  _ hasn’t _ been. Junmyeon can be harsh, and frustrating, but Baekhyun supposes his kindness is there too. His scolding only comes with constructive ways to improve, and for reasons Baekhyun still doesn’t understand, he had taken Baekhyun in to begin with. “But.. all of this…” Baekhyun pulls a face, gesturing to the village around him. “I don’t understand it.” He frowns. “You were navigating Greykeep in only a day. I can’t even understand the worth of rabbit meat.” 

Jongdae scoffs. “Walking around a city is hardly understanding it. There’s a difference between pretending to blend in and actually having to take part.” His reassurances help to relax Baekhyun. “Besides, I had you.” 

Baekhyun swallows around the lump in his throat. “And I only have a cat on a leash.”

Jongdae scoffs, walking over the bridge that leads to the rest of the forest. 

“She’ll get over it,” he mumbles, indignant. “Now that you’re here and not killing everyone she’s less worried. And she can’t stay mad at me forever.”

Baekhyun swallows, rubbing his wrists.

“Until you inevitably betray her trust again,” he points out. Jongdae smiles.

“Until then.” 

The forest’s singing is soft at this time of night, a quiet chanting as the wind guides them forward. It welcomes Baekhyun back into its embrace easily. 

The silence is comfortable, oddly amicable --Baekhyun’s dependency on Jongdae to be the only person in the village who doesn’t hate his guts has made him even more appreciative of his company, in the strangest of ways. Baekhyun has always been drawn to Jongdae, to his power and his warmth and his blood, but in Hel it’s just… different.

Weeks here have made Baekhyun stronger than ever, magic infused in the water he drinks and the food he eats, the air he breathes. There’s muscle between the bone and skin now, his skin smoother, eyes less sunken, even his hair is softer. He feels as strong here as he does on a full moon, like his magic is always at its complete strength --which makes Baekhyun wonder what the  _ real _ full moon will be like, since it’s only a few days away. 

Soft glowing mushrooms line the forest floor here, exhaling with the wind in quiet puffs of glitter smoke. Autumnal flowers uncurl to greet the moon, shivering as Baekhyun walks past. There’s a quiet sort of peace to it all, though Baekhyun can still sense its hunger, buried beneath the soil. It’s so different to Greykeep, and even though it feels more natural to Baekhyun, to be out here amongst the trees and clear air, his heart still aches for Greykeep in moments like these where he’s given enough reprieve to let it, thinking of Baekbeom and feeling the worry gnaw at his gut.

“Your brother,” he starts, itching to fill the hole that lets his mind worry, as well as… curious. King Minseok had proposed a life for a life --Jongdeok for Baekbeom. By wildling standards, it’s equal, but by Baekhyun’s? He doesn’t know. “ The… King…”

Jongdae hums in acknowledgement, pushing an overhanging branch out of his face. He sighs, sitting on Baekhyun’s unasked question. “We used to be closer, but then dad died, and Jongdeok became King… I don’t know. Sometimes he doesn’t even feel like my brother anymore.” His smile is wry. “It makes me a little jealous of you and Baekbeom, to be honest.”

At the mention of Baekbeom, Baekhyun’s heart cracks, guilt dragging his gaze down to the forest floor. If Jongdae ever knew why Baekhyun was really here, he’d never forgive him…

He can never know.

“Sorry,” Jongdae apologises, mistaking Baekhyun’s guilt for homesickness. “I’m sure you’ll be able to return one day, you know.” 

“Return,” Baekhyun repeats, numb, thinking about Baekbeom being taken away by the King’s guards. “Right…”

“C’mon,” Jongdae goads, pulling Baekhyun from the neverending downwards spiral of his thoughts. “Let me show you something.” 

It’s quite a hike for the middle of the night, but Baekhyun doesn’t mind, always more comfortable beneath the moon in the crisp air. Being with Jongdae helps too. 

Large boulders nearby are covered with the glowing flower vines that Baekhyun really should ask the name of one of these days, though Jongdae pushes some aside to reveal that they’re hanging, disguising that the rock is hollow. Baekhyun follows through.

The short tunnel emerges on the other side to an enclosed grove, with clustered trees pushed together by a small lake, their red leaves the colour of blood at night, the water surrounded by glowing specks of concentrated magic in the air. Baekhyun’s mouth hangs open, amazed at the sheer beauty. 

“Pretty, right?” Jongdae asks, preening a little. “I found this place when I was a kid, it’s been a good escape for me ever since.” 

“It’s…” Baekhyun is at a loss for words, shaking his head instead. “Why share it with me?” 

“Because you look like you could use an escape every now and then.” Jongdae chuckles, strained. “And there’s no point in having a good secret if you don’t share it with someone.” 

The wind ruffles Jongdae then, brushing the hair back from his face, causing nearby leaves to dance around him. A knife plunges into Baekhyun’s heart at that exact moment, one he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to pull out.

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun grunts with Junmyeon’s foot in his stomach, grumbling and rolling around.

“Up, wolf,” he says. “I don’t care if you spend your nights gallivanting with the Prince, but be prepared for your duty in the morning.”

Baekhyun sits up, guilty. “We weren’t  _ gallivanting _ ,” he mumbles. 

“Do I look like the Queen Mother?” Junmyeon asks, though Baekhyun can tell he’s amused, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t need your excuses, wolf, just start sorting the wood that’s been dropped off. You put sycamore in the ash pile again yesterday.” 

Baekhyun grunts, the different colours and grains of wood have become so familiar to them he can spot their trees in the forest now, simply looks and can tell the difference between a yew and a pine without second thought, knows the yew is favoured for its soft flexibility while some prefer the sturdy hardwood of an oak. 

His tasks have multiplied, over the last few days. Cleaning turned to taking orders to sorting through materials and prioritising the better ones --Junmyeon teaches him everything, to tell the difference between bones that are fresh or decayed, the stones that are easiest to shape, the amount of tin and copper needed to make bronze over the large fire outside in the stone furnace, how to pour into the clay moulds Junmyeon prepared. It’s all to speed up Junmyeon’s manufacturing process, he ensures, but Baekhyun doesn’t care --it’s fascinating, and he begins to finally feel useful, skilled. Less like a useless wolf, more like a citizen of Hel. 

When Baekhyun isn’t woken up one morning with a foot in his ribs, he’s suspicious.

“Is something wrong?” he asks, immediately climbing up the stairs to find Junmyeon on the second floor workshop, working on a hunter’s mask. Junmyeon gives him a quizzical glance. “You didn’t wake me up.”

“It’s the full moon,” Junmyeon says. “I suppose even you deserve a day off.” 

Baekhyun’s tail wags. “Really?”

Junmyeon laughs. “Yes, really.” He waves his hands. “Everything is in good condition and no one will be requesting anything today, it’s time you experience Hel leash-free.” 

Baekhyun is so excited he almost considers  _ hugging  _ Junmyeon, but decides not to since it would be inappropriate. Still, the happiness bubbles inside him, and with his body in such good health it doesn’t feel so fleeting.

“Thank you,” Baekhyun replies, earnest. “Really.”

“Don’t thank me,” Junmyeon says. “But if you find a stone that might make a good dagger today, you should bring it back.”

Junmyeon actually wants Baekhyun to forage and collect materials? “Why?” he blurts, before he can think better of it. 

“Every child needs to have their first dagger to hunt,” Junmyeon answers, succinct. Baekhyun isn’t sure whether to feel elated or insulted. “Now go away.” 

Outside, it’s clear the full moon is a celebration for the whole village, as people rush back and forth delivering different things to different areas, a whole performance stage being set up in the central plaza outside the Blood Tree, a stack of wood for a large bonfire being built in its centre. Baekhyun watches from the sidelines curiously, the wildlings too caught up in their preparations to send him the usual scowls and glares --both of which have begun to lessen anyway, if only just. 

Baekhyun smiles as he watches a small mouse child tug on the hem of her mother’s tunic to be pulled up into her arms alongside the bundle of kindling. They disappear from view and Baekhyun turns the corner, ready to see more of the village preparations, only to bump into an armful of cloth. 

“Oof.” Chanyeol falls over easily, his long limbs doing nothing for his grace, landing on the ground with a bundle of skins scattered everywhere. 

“Oh,” Baekhyun remarks. “I’m sorry, here--” He bends down to begin picking up the scraps.

“It’s fine,” Chanyeol cuts in, cold. “I’ve got it.” 

“You’re carrying too much, Baekhyun points out. “Let me help.” 

“I don’t need your help.”

“I’m sure you don’t.” Baekhyun remains rooted in place. 

Chanyeol sighs, relenting. “Fine.” He lets Baekhyun carry half the bundle, leading him towards the central plaza to lay them out along the ground around the firepit for people to sit on later. Baekhyun follows Chanyeol’s snippy commands without complaint, simply happy to be involved, if only in this small way.

“If you still want to help,” Chanyeol says once they finish. “I have more to carry.”

Baekhyun smiles, nodding. 

Without being preoccupied by carrying large amounts of material in their arms, the silence is awkward, Chanyeol constantly fidgeting with his hands as he walks. 

“You wear them well,” he blurts, bushy tail flicking anxiously.

“Hm?” Baekhyun tips his head. 

“The clothes,” Chanyeol clarifies. “They look good.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun looks down at his body, tugging on the tunic. “They’re very comfortable,” he compliments. 

“Well that’s… good… then…” Chanyeol grimaces, obviously feeling awkward. Baekhyun smiles, quickly hiding it by glancing down. 

Chanyeol has Baekhyun wait in the main open room of his house again as he rummages through various chests, pulling out long sitting blankets that cover plenty of ground. He rambles to himself about how his family has been making blankets for the full-moon festival for generations now, right since the First Ones, obviously someone who doesn’t take well to silence. 

As he deposits another stack in Baekhyun’s arms and they repeat their walk, Chanyeol says, “You smell better too, y’know. More like Junmyeon. All wood and fire and metal and… yeah. The stolen magic thing is harder to sense.”

“Thank you…?” At least, Baekhyun  _ thinks _ he’s meant to feel complimented.

“When you smelled like that I thought you’d be like, way meaner and a little feral,” Chanyeol continues rambling. “But you’re just really quiet. I thought wolves were meant to hate us.”

“I did,” Baekhyun admits. “But Jongdae made me realise I was wrong.” 

Chanyeol gives a warm, genuine smile before snickering a little. “‘Jongdae’,” he quotes. “No respect for the Prince, huh?” 

Baekhyun’s tail tenses, realising his mistake. “Sorry,” he quickly apologises. Chanyeol snorts.

“Well, I certainly don’t care and I doubt the Prince does either, it’s just funny.” His amusement just makes Baekhyun feel more embarrassed. “You two are obviously close. Makes me wonder what happened all those times the Prince ran away.” 

“Close?” Baekhyun repeats.  _ Close? _ He and Jongdae aren’t close, they just… understand each other, in the strangest of ways. He’s the only wildling Baekhyun had actually known before coming to Hel, and he hadn’t known he was a Prince --nor would he have cared, at the start-- it makes sense for Baekhyun to be drawn to him. Doesn’t it? “We’re not close.”

“Aren’t you?” Chanyeol arches an eyebrow, taking in the frown on Baekhyun’s face over the bundle of leathers in his arms. “Oh I uh-- My mistake then.”

Chanyeol is a lot more chatty, while they work, and he turns into a good source of information for Baekhyun when he finally points at the glowing flowers and asks what they’re called. (Starnights, apparently. At least Baekhyun now  _ knows _ .) He seems to enjoy talking, and Baekhyun is happy to encourage him to do so, asking about preparations for the full moon festival and all the occasions surrounding it. A big feast for the whole village, story time for the children, plenty of singing and instruments and dancing, a speech from the King and Queen Mother, and of course the freedom to shift, something Baekhyun can’t even fathom. Shifting within Greykeep is illegal and difficult in the lack of magic, only the wolves on their Hunts are ever given permission.

Chanyeol’s excitement is strangely contagious, and Baekhyun finds himself looking more and more forward to the sunset, to witness the foreign celebrations and to finally run as a free wolf, to be a part of  _ something _ . 

He even asks Chanyeol about the gestures, the clapped hands a sign of deep respect or gratitude, the palm to forehead something done in the presence of elders, the conversation derails from there as Chanyeol talks about being a nuisance of a child who never took part in the proper formality, always infuriating his mother. That actually makes Baekhyun laugh, which causes Chanyeol’s face to go all sunny, joining in. 

Baekhyun is helping Chanyeol and some of the others hang decorative charms around the village --strings of feathers and beads and wooden totems-- when Jongdae drops down from the canopy above, landing on his feet and making Chanyeol jump. Luckily Chanyeol’s exaggerated scream had been enough to hide Baekhyun’s flinch.

“Looks like someone’s having fun,” he says, tail curling playfully as he smiles at Baekhyun the way a cat smiles at a mouse trapped between its claws. 

“Your wolf has helped a lot, actually,” Chanyeol chimes in. 

“Has he?” Jongdae’s gleeful smile looks genuinely pleased, beneath the smug exterior. “Good puppy.”

Baekhyun hands Jongdae a bunch of the feathered decorations. “Now that you’re here you can help too.”

“And a bossy puppy…” Jongdae mutters, but he’s smiling and obeys nonetheless. They make quick work of decorating through the central plaza, laughing at Chanyeol’s clumsiness, with Jongdae teasing him at being such a good leather-worker when he can’t even climb a ladder properly. It’s the lightest Baekhyun has felt in days, months, maybe even his whole life --smiling and grinning in a way that seems foreign on his face. 

As Chanyeol goes to collect more decorations, Jongdae turns and says, “You seem different.”

“Different?” Baekhyun echoes, tipping his head.

“Not in a bad way, or anything.” Jongdae is suddenly invested in examining one of the decorations near his face, avoiding eye contact. “You just seem… happier.”

Happier? Maybe... With his body in such good health, combined with Junmyeon’s --and now Chanyeol’s-- good favour, Baekhyun does  _ feel _ different. More like himself, in a way that tells Baekhyun he’d never really known himself to begin with. There’s something about the atmosphere of Hel that’s placating, even when Baekhyun isn’t truly a part of it, easy to get swept up in all that he wants to understand. He doesn’t feel like he’s always tiptoeing here, afraid of every wrong move --rather, Baekhyun makes mistakes constantly, and at best it earns a quip from Junmyeon and a slap on the wrist. Not to mention his magic is stronger today than ever, making him feel whole. 

“The full moon helps.” 

Jongdae turns and smiles. “That’s good,” he says, as genuine as he always is. “I’m glad.” 

“Jongdae,” a voice calls from behind them, revealing a disgruntled Kyungsoo. He jerks his chin back. “The Queen wants to see you.”

“Ah, my real duty calls…” Jongdae’s tail flicks; he touches the inside of Baekhyun’s wrist, fingers lingering over the sensitive skin as he steps back. “I’ll see you tonight, right?”

“I--” Jongdae  _ wants _ to see him? Baekhyun falters. “--Uh. Sure.”

Jongdae walks over to Kyungsoo, who shoots a glare at Baekhyun before herding Jongdae away. Baekhyun has to resist the childish urge to bare his fangs in response, figuring he shouldn’t make any enemies if he’s made no friends. The inside of his wrist burns. 

“Not close, huh?” Chanyeol’s eyes are sparkling as he returns, holding a new bunch of decorations.

“No,” Baekhyun replies, feeling defensive. “How long were you watching us?”

Chanyeol just laughs. 

As they’re finally finishing up with the decorations, and the sun nears the horizon, Chanyeol says, “There’s one last thing I need your help with.” Baekhyun nods, eager. “Help me convince Junmyeon to join in tonight.”

Baekhyun tips his head. “He doesn’t usually?”

“Nope.” Chanyeol has to duck to avoid a low-hanging branch as they walk past. Baekhyun doesn’t. “He’s like a grumpy old man, always complaining about it being boring and frivolous.” Chanyeol leans in close to conspire, dropping his voice. “I think he just hates shifting and gets defensive about the whole ordeal.”

“Why would he hate shifting?” Shifting is  _ exhilarating _ , embracing the demon blood like that, unleashing their other half. It’s a natural instinct, and Baekhyun looks forward to it every month --even more so now, without all the Keepers’ manipulation behind it. 

Chanyeol snorts. “Imagine shifting and losing your arms and legs. Can’t be that fun.”

Baekhyun bursts into a laugh so sudden it startles out of him, loud enough that it echoes around them. He slaps both hands over his mouth, embarrassed. Chanyeol laughs loud enough to rival him.

As soon as they step into the redwood house, Junmyeon says, “Absolutely not.” 

“Myeonnieeeeee,” Chanyeol whines. “Junmyeonnnnnnnn.” 

“Once a month!” Junmyeon argues. “It’s the same damn thing once a month!!!”

The chatterbox motion Chanyeol makes with his hand behind Junmyeon’s back indicates this is a usual argument. Baekhyun snorts, quickly covering it up by clearing his throat when Junmyeon glares at him. 

“But now Baekhyun is here! And you haven’t attended the festival in  _ foreverrrrr _ . We both want you there!” At the sound of his name, Baekhyun perks up, tail wagging a little happily before he can stop it.  _ Chanyeol said his name _ .

“No, I don’t care about what either of you want. It’s just an excuse to drink and dance, and some of us have jobs to do tomorrow.”

“I happen to know you enjoy both drinking and dancing,” Chanyeol points out. “When was the last time you had roasted quail, huh? You know Seulgi is a stinge about hunting those things.”

Junmyeon’s gaze goes a little distant, before snapping back. “No.”

“If you come I’ll bring a skin of juniper wine for you.”

“...Fine.” 

Chanyeol claps. “Yay!”

“I expect this from him, but you?” Junmyeon points at Baekhyun. “From you I expected better.” 

Baekhyun droops a little at the disappointment, but then Chanyeol slings an arm around his shoulder, pulling Baekhyun’s head towards his chest. 

“That’s my dog you’re talking about, take it back!” 

Junmyeon laughs at the look on Baekhyun’s face, making Baekhyun frown. So he was just messing with him...

“Good luck, I think he’s already been collared.” Somehow, Baekhyun  _ knows _ Junmyeon isn’t talking about the one from Greykeep. “Now leave me alone. I’ll see you tonight, Chanyeollie.” 

Chanyeol’s smugness rolls off of him in waves as they walk out of the redwood. “I knew all it would take were two sets of puppy eyes.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Beyond witness the massacre of Junmyeon’s resilience. 

“Eh, true. I guess I am just that good.” Chanyeol’s self-assured ego comes off in no way as ironic, and makes Baekhyun huff a quiet laugh to himself, shaking his head. 

“You and Junmyeon are close,” Baekhyun states as they begin walking towards the central plaza again. Eye for an eye.

“Mhmm.” Chanyeol nods. “We grew up together because our parents were friends and our siblings are close in age, though it was mostly me just following him around because I had a puppy crush as a dumb kid.” Chanyeol laughs at the memory. “Junmyeon  _ hated _ me, but I guess he came around.” 

A friend to have known for so long, what Baekhyun wouldn’t give…

Arriving at the plaza, Baekhyun is somehow enlisted into helping prepare the meat to be roasted, plucking feathers from small bird carcasses. He’s hopeless at it, causing Seulgi to continuously slap his hands over and over as she shows him how to do it without damaging the meat. Once they’re done, a section is portioned off and given to one of the shamans, Sunyoung, who draws a circle in the earth and prays beneath his breath so that the forest takes the offerings happily. 

Nothing in Hel ever goes to waste. The beaks and bones can be used as decorations or in rituals, unneeded organs can be given to the forest as an offering, while others are left behind to be eaten or used in medicine. The feathers are kept for fletching arrows and the feet apparently make a very good soup, all of which Baekhyun learns in the span of a few hours as various wildlings direct him here and there, needing all the available hands they can get.

Just as the sun crosses the horizon, everything is in order, and the moon’s appearance is greeted with a village-wide chanting song, accompanied by various drums and string instruments, everyone stopping in place to call at it excitedly as their magic bubbles up to meet it. The fire is lit, and they all gather around it in groups to talk and dance and sing. Baekhyun is pulled into the mess by Chanyeol, excitedly rambling on and on about his mother’s special juniper wine which should never go untasted.

Baekhyun is handed a quail leg and a wooden cup, and although the general wariness surrounding his presence has somewhat dissipated, he can still tell the other wildlings Chanyeol sits him near don’t want him there, shooting him glares from the side of their eyes while Chanyeol remains oblivious and unbothered. Baekhyun is beyond touched by Chanyeol’s kindness, truly, but he knows his place.

He quietly excuses himself to get more meat, and with another leg in hand doesn’t rejoin the group towards the fire, rather slinks towards the outskirts in the shadows of the flame, sitting against a nearby tree. It’s easier this way, to be quiet and observe, to inhale the magic around him and feel the moon shine on his skin from the canopies, excited to shift. The sweet, fatty taste of quail makes his tail wag, but a mouthful of juniper wine just has him grimacing --it’s so  _ bitter _ . Baekhyun sets the cup aside.

“There you are,” Jongdae says, walking up to him. “Hiding away from the festivities, huh? Junmyeon really has been teaching you.” 

Baekhyun gives a reluctant huff, taking another bite of the succulent meat. Jongdae moves the cup to sit beside him, their shoulders brushing.

“Says you,” Baekhyun points out.

“Yeah, well…” Jongdae shrugs. The King and Queen mother can be seen across the bonfire talking to a wide circle and laughing. “I don’t care for public appearances.” 

Baekhyun tips his head backwards to look towards the moon, thinking about how he and Jongdae had met on a night just like this, months ago, how somewhere south of here the wolves are hungry and anxious to hunt, to prey on the wildling sentinels guarding the forest that could be here, instead, enjoying the festivities if it weren’t for Greykeep.

And then he thinks of Baekbeom, in a cell or in a grave, and the meat in his mouth tastes rotten. Guilt bubbles up suddenly, and all his joy washes away, because how could Baekhyun ever  _ dare _ to let himself enjoy any of this? It’s so easy to let himself get swept up in it all, he forgets he’s not meant to.

His eyes fall to King Jongdeok, wondering if he’ll ever be prepared enough to do what he knows he must.

“And now you look very sad.” Jongdae laughs quietly, jostling their shoulders together. “Am I bothering you that much?”

“No!” Baekhyun is quick to argue. “No, no of course not, I’m just… thinking.”

“Of home?” Jongdae asks, because he’s always seen straight through Baekhyun like that.

Baekhyun shakes his head. “Greykeep wasn’t home.”

“Is Hel?”

He doesn’t answer.

They watch the fire in an easy, comfortable silence, all the people dancing and listening to the sweet harmonies in the air. Baekhyun’s eyes are always drawn towards Jongdae no matter how many times he pulls them away, though, easy to admire him in the low firelight. His face is painted with markings like many of the other wildlings in celebration, and his eyes are lined with black kohl, golden circlet in its usual place though he wears somewhat nicer clothes, with a short fur cloak hanging off his shoulders. He’s beautiful, Baekhyun thinks, loud and clear, like a portraiture fit for a god.

“You keep staring,” Jongdae says, making Baekhyun look away, embarrassed. “Is there something on my face?” He smiles teasingly. 

“No.” Baekhyun shoves his hands into his lap. “Just paint.”

Whatever expression passes Jongdae’s face, Baekhyun misses since he’s stubbornly keeping his head facing the fire. Jongdae stands, offering out a hand. 

“C’mon,” he urges. “You shouldn’t miss out.”

Baekhyun lets himself be pulled up, though the obvious stares as he walks through the crowd with Jongdae make his face warm. He’s a wolf, an outsider, and here he is with the Prince’s favour --it probably isn’t giving him any points. 

“People are staring,” Baekhyun mutters.

“Let them.” Jongdae asks a nearby lizard wildling for the wooden bowl at her feet, which she gladly hands over. He thanks her, as charming as always, dipping his thumb into it. “They’ll have to accept you one way or another.”

Baekhyun’s face scrunches as Jongdae smears the gritty paint over his cheeks. It’s blood red, and a familiar feeling on Baekhyun’s skin beneath the full moon, though with an entirely different meaning.

Jongdae laughs. “Stop moving, you’ll make it worse.” His hand hooks under Baekhyun’s chin to keep it still, continuing to drag his fingers over Baekhyun’s face. Two curved lines under each eye, three dots on his forehead, a line going going down the bridge of his nose, the bow of his top lip, ending at his chin. Jongdae’s thumb lingers there, eyes dark in focus. Baekhyun’s breath hitches. 

“There.” Jongdae pulls back, and all the air rushes back into Baekhyun’s chest, winded. “Now you don’t stand out.”

“I’m a wolf,” Baekhyun replies, skeptical. “I’ll always stand out.”

“Not forever,” Jongdae reassures, his voice quiet and deep. He returns the bowl of paint to its owner, then pulls Baekhyun towards the fire. A group of wildlings nursing wine cups are singing into the open air, easily making room for Jongdae and Baekhyun to sit beside them, as Jongdae joins into the song easily, loud and perfect. 

“You have a nice voice,” he tells Baekhyun midway through, jostling their shoulders together. “So sing.” 

“I don’t know the words,” Baekhyun replies, embarrassed as he hunches his shoulders.

“Who cares?” 

Baekhyun does, but Jongdae’s incessant nudging is stubborn, so he joins in timidly, matching the pitch and tone of the chanting around him as Jongdae harmonizes on top. Jongdae’s voice cracks at one stage, and the music stutters as so many singers around them laugh. The lyrics paint a clear picture of the First Ones, gifted magic from the forest that turned them into tieflings, protectors of life and death, upholding the balance. It makes Baekhyun thing of King Minseok in his golden throne, an unnatural ailment defying death and time --no wonder he sees wildlings as his enemy. 

Jongdae pats Baekhyun on the shoulder encouragingly before slipping away, and the group huddles closer together, the young girl beside Baekhyun giving him a wary smile as they move in, continuing to sing. Baekhyun misses more notes than he can count even in the simple chanting, but nobody around him seems to care. 

A sudden hush falls over the village as the King stands in front of the bonfire with the Queen and Jongdae in tow, calling them to attention. They give yet another grand speech about rising up to the full moon, embracing the magic in their blood, thanking their ancestors and the forest --Baekhyun hardly listens, unable to focus on anything but Jongdae’s silhouette by his brother’s side, the firelight burning gold around him like a halo. His chest constricts, and the pressure doesn’t seem to ever lessen. 

With the blessing over, the festivities proceed with ten times the amount of enthusiasm, louder music and more cheering even as plenty of wildlings break away to shift, hundreds of various animal calls joining in with the singing before disappearing into the forest. Baekhyun still watches Jongdae, the argument he’s having with his mother away from the crowd, the way he slips away from his family with a practiced stealth once they’re distracted, disappearing behind the thick trunk of the Blood Tree behind them. 

Baekhyun follows him before he can even think about it, standing up impulsively and walking behind the tree. Jongdae isn’t there, but a pile of his clothes are. It’s a split second decision, but Baekhyun looks up at the moon and smiles, taking off his clothes and deciding to fold them carefully, thinking of Chanyeol’s dedication when making them. 

Baekhyun shifts, and for the first time in his life he welcomes his wolf without restraint, without chains, without duty, greeting it like an old friend. The teachings of Greykeep seem so far away out here; Baekhyun knows this freedom and temptation is all just a sin, but for now, he doesn’t care. He feels the magic in the forest around him, alive and breathing, and wonders how any other gods could exist. 

His wolf takes over, though Baekhyun hardly tries to stop it. He latches onto Jongdae’s sweet scent immediately, bounding forward to follow it into the forest, which sings to him louder than ever, welcoming him home. The trail disappears into the canopies, but Baekhyun’s nose is too good, tracking it all the way to the boulder woven with starnights, nudging the false overhang with his snout and stepping through into the clearing on the other side. His blood sings for Jongdae’s, but it’s not the usual hunger and craving of the hunt, rather something different entirely, something Baekhyun doesn’t recognise. 

Jongdae is just by the edge of the water in leopard form, rolled onto his back and staring up at the stars. Baekhyun’s wolf, unrestrained and fueled by magic, barks excitedly at him.

The reaction is immediate, his sleek, black body scampering up a nearby tree in the blink of an eye, watching Baekhyun from the trees before relaxing when he realises who’s there, flopping against it lazily with his long tail hanging off, curling and uncurling.

Baekhyun barks again, bounding over with his tail wagging. He runs in anxious circles beneath Jongdae, continuing to bark, asking for him to come down. Jongdae gives a disgruntled rumble before doing so, landing smoothly on his feet. Baekhyun tackles him instantly, tumbling together through the fallen leaves, scrambling for dominance. It’s harmless play fighting, mouthing at each other, tugging on tails as Jongdae using his huge paws to swat at Baekhyun’s snout, but it’s also ridiculously fun, bringing with it a sort of ease and freedom Baekhyun has never had before, just letting his wolf instincts be in control, unworried of the consequences.

Their tackling ends when a stray leaf ends up on Jongdae’s nose and he sneezes, making Baekhyun jump back to bark at him in laughter, tail wagging. Jongdae huffs, crouching low and growling deep in his chest as if stalking prey, circling Baekhyun. Baekhyun crouches to join him, tail in the air, growling in play-threat. 

Jongdae pounces, but he merely leaps over Baekhyun with an easy grace, landing on the other side of him and flicking his tail playfully before slipping back into the trees. 

They continue for hours, really, letting their demon sides fight and play and chase, a simplistic enjoyment to it all. At one stage a round of tackling ends with Baekhyun on his back and Jongdae on top of him, preening with deep rumbles. He leans forward to lick the paint on Baekhyun’s snout, and the rough feeling of his tongue has Baekhyun wrinkling his nose, wiggling away. Jongdae rumbles as he watches, amused, nuzzling against Baekhyun in apology as he purrs. Baekhyun huffs.

Eventually Jongdae’s nuzzling turns into hands in his fur, and Baekhyun can’t stop himself from leaning into the touch even as Jongdae laughs at him, shoving his face into his stomach.

“Puppy…” he teases, fond, scratching under Baekhyun’s chin and making his tail thump against the ground. It’s late into the night, now, and Baekhyun feels exhausted from so much running around, lazy and content with Jongdae patting him so thoroughly, laughing with endearment. It feels so good, so comforting, so natural Baekhyun doesn’t question it, just lets Jongdae’s tired head knock against his fur and inhale deeply, fingers closing through it. Baekhyun whines, licking at Jongdae’s ear.

“It’s nothing,” he says, eyes shut, breathing steadily. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say to that, so he’s glad he’s in wolf form so he doesn’t have to. Jongdae looks sad, falling against Baekhyun’s side, closing his eyes. Baekhyun just lies beside him, listening to Jongdae’s soft breaths, the forest’s song, and watching the stars twinkle above them. 


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

 

Baekhyun wakes up in the morning shivering, curling towards the source of warmth beside him. Jongdae grunts in response.

That has Baekhyun reluctantly rolling away and sitting up, rubbing at his eyes. Jongdae makes a soft noise in the back of his throat, a quiet  _ mrrp .  _

“We should go,” Baekhyun consoles. “The Queen won’t be happy with you running away.” He pauses. “Again.”

Jongdae sighs, sitting up and stretching, tail curling. “Probably not,” he agrees, as Baekhyun’s eyes track over the muscles of his back and the tattoos curling down it, the arch of his spine, the curve of his-- “But I’m used to it.”

Baekhyun tears his eyes away, guilty and embarrassed all at once. Nudity amongst half-bloods is nothing to be ashamed of or a cause for surprise, but Baekhyun is suddenly uncomfortably warm. Jongdae is just so beautiful, and uncovered, well… it’s…

“You fought with her last night,” Baekhyun points out.

“Ah puppy, always so indirect with your questions.” Jongdae smiles, amused. “Yes, as per usual mother and Jongdeok wanted me to take up more duties, play a bigger part in the full moon beyond helping the village, blah blah blah...” He frowns. “They want me to rule and tell people what to do but that’s… that’s not me. I just want to be free, you know?”

Free, like they had been last night, roaming around and playing without a care in the world.

“I understand,” Baekhyun consoles, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on Jongdae’s bare thigh. Jongdae relaxes at the touch. 

They wash up by the water even though it’s icy, clearing the paint from their faces and all the dirt from rolling around. Baekhyun tries not to stare too hard at the way the droplets trace out the curvature of Jongdae’s spine, the dip of his collarbones. His impulses are difficult to control, and he doesn’t understand it. It’s like battling with his wolf over the calling of the forest and the moon from the walls of Greykeep, but  _ worse. _

Before they return to Hel, Baekhyun spots a shiny piece of flattened obsidian resting under the water. He takes it. They have to sprint back since they’ll freeze if they walk --winter is approaching quickly, by the looks of things-- Jongdae laughing and complaining the whole way back, turning it into a makeshift race with no winner. Magic is enough to keep them warm, but with the full moon gone now it wanes.

As they make it back to their clothes still between the roots of the Blood Tree, Jongdae says, “Next time, let’s take our furs with us.” Grumbling more complaints as he pulls on the frigid leathers. Baekhyun’s heart soars at the promise and his tail is wagging before he can stop it.  _ Next time _ . 

Back in the redwood house, Junmyeon holds up a hand the moment Baekhyun opens the door.

“Don’t say anything,” he orders, rubbing his temple. “And don’t make a sound. I’m too hungover. Just clean up would you?”

Baekhyun nods, hiding his smile. “I found a good stone,” he says, pulling out the obsidian from his back pocket. Junmyeon  _ hmphs _ .

“I’ll teach you what to do with it when my head isn’t trying to kill me.” He waves his hands. “Now shoo.” 

Baekhyun gets his tasks done before midday, accustomed to where everything is placed and what needs to be done. He asks Junmyeon if he can help the village clean up from the festival, and he waves Baekhyun away, immediately finding Chanyeol to help him with taking down the decorations and cleaning up the fire pit. Chanyeol asks about Junmyeon and laughs when Baekhyun tells him the answer, unsurprised that he’s grumpy and hungover. Baekhyun doesn’t see Jongdae the whole day, and tries not to let the disappointment settle too deeply.

He fails.

  
  
  
  
  


Although the full moon is a celebrated event, it’s passed over as quickly as it had come, the village settling back into its usual routine. It’s as similar as it had been in Greykeep, and the ironic thought makes Baekhyun laugh a little, if only to himself. 

But then thoughts of Greykeep turn to worries over Baekbeom and subsequent guilt, the deep, dark knowledge of Baekhyun’s duty looming over his head, counting down with each day that passes. There’s so much to do and learn in Hel that he hardly has time to catch his breath and notice it, but it’s always there, waiting.

Junmyeon helps Baekhyun shape the obsidian into a suitable blade, pick the wood for its grip and carve it into a proper handle. Baekhyun decides on some of the cherry wood from his and Jongdae’s grove, wandering for hours to pick a suitable branch off the ground --not too rotted, not too thin. Borrowing one of Junmyeon’s whittling knives, it takes several tries for Baekhyun to get the motion right, having to return to the grove over and over to get more wood. Eventually he gets the shape satisfactory enough for Junmyeon, the curve fitting into his palm nicely and the groove centred enough to hold the blade. Baekhyun knows he isn’t skilled enough to risk any intricate details on the hilt, so instead he pierces a hole through it, threading through a string of quail feathers, winding rope around the slit where the blade is inserted into the hilt to pull it altogether. 

The result is a dagger, slightly lopsided and out of shape, but Baekhyun  _ made _ it, and he can’t stop staring at it with pride. 

“Well done, Baekhyun,” Junmyeon pats his shoulder. “It’s a beautiful first dagger.”

Chanyeol had even made him a belt for it --behind Baekhyun’s back-- delivering it to him in a suprise. It’s equipped with several pouches kept for holding whatever Baekhyun deems fit, and there’s a smooth leather holster for his dagger to sit. Baekhyun beams when he tries it on --it’s a perfect fit.

“It’s getting cold,” Chanyeol points out as he eats a handful of blackberries Junmyeon had given him, lingering around. “You’re going to need furs sooner rather than later.”

Baekhyun hums, agreeing. He feels the chill every time he walks out, even if Chanyeol had made him a long-sleeved tunic, lined with pelts by Joohyun. (When Baekhyun had asked him what he’d wanted in return, Chanyeol just told him to hold on to that debt until later with a wink.) 

“Furs near winter aren’t easy to obtain,” Junmyeon argues. “I’m not sure if Baekhyun has means of paying such a debt.” 

Baekhyun’s ears droop.

“Maybe not, but he could get them himself,” Chanyeol counters. Junmyeon pulls a face. “Oh c’mon Myeonnie, he has his first dagger. It’s about time he learnt more about the forest.” 

Even with his first dagger and his name returned, wildlings still like to talk about Baekhyun as if he isn’t there. 

“It’s not that I disagree, it’s just that I don’t know who could teach him.” Junmyeon grimaces, Baekhyun trying to contain his excitement at the prospect of finally being able to hunt. “Setting traps I could teach,  _ maybe _ , but hunting? I was always hopeless at it.”

“As was I.” Chanyeol pulls a face. “All the best hunters are always so busy, too, I can’t exactly picture them jumping at the opportunity to help.”

Baekhyun withers; Chanyeol catches the movement.

“Hey hey it’s okay!!” he reassures. “I’m sure we can find you someone. I know it’s something you really want to try.”

It is, but Baekhyun doesn’t want to burden Junmyeon and Chanyeol more than he already has if hunting isn’t something they’re used to.

“What about Jongdae?” Baekhyun asks, remembering Jongdae’s bow and quiver and the taste of deer when he’d been so  _ hungry _ . 

“The Prince?” Chanyeol blinks. “Uh…”

“I know Jongdae isn’t a  _ bad _ hunter,” Junmyeon muses. “But I’m not sure if a Prince is someone with the time to do that. He’s always so busy helping the King and Queen…”

“Sorry,” Baekhyun mumbles. “Bad suggestion.”

“Maybe somebody else!” Chanyeol offers. Baekhyun sighs. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


While Junmyeon doesn’t teach Baekhyun to hunt, he does take him out into the forest to forage, helping him distinguish the different plants and their many uses. There are so many to learn, from the healing godswood to the poisonous thicklespine, and in the end of fall it’s even harder to distinguish when so many are missing their leaves. Still, Baekhyun helps Junmyeon collect wood for the materials and the coming winter both, chopping it with a large stone axe on a stump behind the house. 

Junmyeon teaches Baekhyun how to make deadfalls and snares and trapping pits, and how to mark them so that wildlings steer clear, though in the cold they’re rarely fruitful even though Baekhyun checks every morning. Most of the times the bait is taken without the animal ever having been caught, but the first rabbit he does catch makes Baekhyun ecstatic, with its strange glowing fur and horns. He takes it to Junmyeon, who shows him how to skin it properly and smoke the pelt, roasting it over the fire, and preparing strips to be dried outside in the sun and preparing the rest in an offering. Baekhyun isn’t allowed to hunt overzealously lest he upset the balance, so he has to disassemble most of the traps after that, but still. He’s learning, and he’s making progress, and the satisfaction makes Baekhyun happy --though most things still have to be done by Junmyeon, it’s a start.

Baekhyun is awoken one night by tapping at the windowsill, rising to open the shutters. Jongdae’s smiling crouched form greets him, tail flicking behind him.

“You’re not making this a habit now, are you?”

Jongdae’s grin stretches wider. “Grumpy puppy doesn’t like to be woken up, huh?”

Baekhyun grunts, a small growl rumbling up from his throat. Jongdae looks annoyingly pleased.

“I just wanted to see how you were,” Jongdae admits, ears flicking. “Everything I hear about you is secondhand. It’s so  _ frustrating. _ Mother said you were my duty and then does whatever she can to keep me away from you, I can’t stand it.” 

Baekhyun doesn’t know how to respond to that, oddly flustered, so instead he just beckons for Jongdae to leave, walking with him in the village. The night is cold, and Baekhyun shivers a little, his tail bristling. 

“She’s given me a thousand things to do each day, you know. Jongdeok too,” Jongdae continues, frowning. “Says it’s all part of me sharing the responsibility, but it just feels like she hates you. You should see her face every time someone visiting mentions some gossip about you, it’s kind of hilarious.” 

“Gossip?” Baekhyun repeats. “About… me?”

Jongdae laughs. “Of course, it’s not like anyone here has anything better to do. There’s a wolf amongst us and everyone wants to know what he’s doing.” 

Baekhyun blinks, completely surprised. “No one talks to me. They don’t even  _ look _ at me.”

Jongdae hums. “Maybe, but they’re always watching. Spreading whispers about how you’re Junmyeon’s apprentice now, how you’ve been overhunting, how Junmyeon keeps you only to bed you.” 

Baekhyun grimaces. “Eugh.” 

“My reaction too.” Jongdae laughs, brighter than the starnights hanging from the branches above them. “They say you’re bedding Chanyeol as well, to earn their favour.”

“What am I, taking turns?” Jongdae laughs again, quelling any of Baekhyun’s disgust at the thought. “Gods…”

“Spirits,” Jongdae corrects. Right, Hel has no gods, only the forest and the spirits that dwell there. “They’d rather think you were manipulating everyone around you than believe a wolf is likeable.” He huffs. 

Baekhyun grunts. “Do they think I’m bedding you too?” 

Jongdae pauses, pulling a face. “Well…”

The thought makes Baekhyun incredibly flustered, his face heating. “I’m not.”

“I’m well aware you’re not.” Jongdae’s tail curls amusedly.

“You should tell them I’m not,” Baekhyun clarifies, stern. Jongdae shrugs.

“Let them gossip. They talk in circles and contradict themselves, it’s amusing. It shows how shallow their prejudice runs.” He places a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, meant to be reassuring, but the touch only burns. “They fear you only because they don’t know you, but they will, in time.” 

Baekhyun’s chest inflates. It does that a lot, around Jongdae. He’s not sure if it’s meant to worry him or not. 

Jongdae then asks for the  _ truth _ , wanting to know what Baekhyun has really been doing, so he tells him. All about everything Junmyeon has been teaching him, what he’s been making and trying to do. His excitement bleeds into his words, and Jongdae smiles as he listens. Jongdae’s interest is so sincere, it catches Baekhyun off-guard, and when he points it out, Jongdae just gives him a strange look.

“I care about you and I want to know.” He arches an eyebrow. “Why do you find that so surprising?”

Baekhyun doesn’t have an answer, just feels his neck flush in the darkness and pushes onwards. 

Their walk leads them to their grove in a wordless agreement, where Jongdae immediately goes to the water’s edge to pick up flat stones and skim it over the surface. Baekhyun just sits behind him and watches, leaning back on his palms, breathing in the clear magic of the forest. He’s so used to it filling his lungs, it’s nice to sometimes inhale deeply and truly feel it, to think of how far he’s come.

Jongdae spins suddenly. “We should have a competition,” he says. “To see who can get the most skips.” 

“Really?” Baekhyun asks, amused, but Jongdae’s eyes are wide with excitement, so he gives in, standing and sorting through the rocks on the water’s edge. “I haven’t done this since I was a kid…”

“That’s what makes it so fun,” Jongdae replies, laughing. Baekhyun tosses the stone and gets a measly single skip before it sinks. Jongdae cackles at him, topping it with an easy three. It reminds Baekhyun of the last time they’d come here, in demon form, wild and careless, playing like children without a single worry in the world. Looking at the way the line in Jongdae’s shoulder relaxes with every failed skip and subsequent laugh, Baekhyun is beginning to understand that Jongdae needs this, the freedom. And Baekhyun needs it too.

As Jongdae is lining up his next throw Baekhyun knocks him sideways mid-throw, sending the stone plummeting. Jongdae scoffs.

“Bad puppy!” he scolds as Baekhyun just snickers, cut off only when Jongdae tackles him to the ground, growling. They tussle through the detritus, mixing laughs with growls, until Baekhyun finally manages to pin Jongdae down, preening in victory.

Until Jongdae leans up to lick Baekhyun’s nose, and he freezes, wrinkling it in disgust and loosening his grip enough for Jongdae to push him back. Baekhyun scowls, wiping his nose with the back of his hand as Jongdae laughs at him, holding his stomach. 

“Never fails on you huh, puppy?” Jongdae teases, gold eyes sparkling in the starlight.

“You’re disgusting,” Baekhyun replies, flopping next to Jongdae and following his line of sight upwards. 

“One of my many charms,” Jongdae assures, tilting his head to grin at Baekhyun with curved eyes before watching the stars. “We should probably return soon. We don’t want to stay out all night.”

Baekhyun agrees with a lazy hum, tracing out makeshift constellations with his eyes. It’s hard to believe it’s the same sky as it had been back in Greykeep --it just seems so much brighter. 

“Jongdae?” Baekhyun prompts, after basking in the silence, listening to Jongdae’s quiet breaths.

“Yeah?”

“Can you teach me to hunt?” 

“Oh…. oh, Baekhyun, I’d love to.” Jongdae sits up, his expression regretful. “But…” Baekhyun braces himself for the sting of rejection. “I don’t think I can, not before winter arrives. I… I promised Jongdeok I’d join him on the new moon pilgrimage.”

“I see.” Baekhyun swallows, sitting up and staring out at the water. Jongdae softens.

“What if you asked Kyungsoo?” he suggests. Baekhyun whips his head around to give Jongdae a look of disbelief. “What? He’s the head hunter, he teaches all the time. There’s no one better.”

“Kyungsoo  _ hates _ me,” Baekhyun emphasizes. At least most of the other wildlings in the village can be watered down to simple loathing or contempt, but Kyungsoo actually tried to kill Baekhyun, once upon a time. 

“He doesn’t  _ know  _ you,” Jongdae consoles. “It would be good for you to learn to hunt from the best and maybe… it’d be good for Kyungsoo to… come around to you… too.”

Baekhyun narrows his eyes. “You want me to gain Kyungsoo’s favour so your mother lets you out more, don’t you.” After all, Kyungsoo is the head hunter, a respected position to the royals --if he can vouch for Baekhyun’s place too, then maybe the Queen will stop being so paranoid that Jongdae will befriend a wolf.

But that would require Baekhyun  _ actually  _ gaining Kyungsoo’s favour.

“I never said that!” Jongdae holds his hands up defensively.

Baekhyun huffs. “Now who’s manipulating.”

“Yeah well at least I’m not bedding anyone to do it.” Jongdae sticks out his tongue; Baekhyun sneers. “Besides, Kyungsoo is important to me, and so are you. I want you to get along.” 

Baekhyun sighs, feeling his resolve chip away. “Even if I ask him, he’ll just say no.” Not that Baekhyun particularly  _ wants _ to be taught by someone who hates his guts anyway. 

“Kyungsoo can be blunt, but he’s not unkind.” Jongdae frowns. “I’m sure if you show you’re dedicated…”

Baekhyun makes a low growl at the thought. 

“C’mon puppy,” Jongdae whines, tipping his head. His tail brushes over Baekhyun’s fingers, sending shivers up his arm.“For me?” 

Baekhyun hates how convincing that is.

“Fine,” he relents, and Jongdae’s face splits into a grin. “But neither me nor Kyungsoo are going to enjoy it.”

Jongdae laughs, standing. “Then at least you’ll have something in common.” 

Baekhyun had grown warm from the tackling, but now the chill just hits harder on the walk back to Hel, the forest singing for Baekhyun to come back soon, the wind making him shudder. Jongdae wordlessly tugs Baekhyun to his side, draping his furs over the both of them and radiating warmth. The proximity makes Baekhyun’s blood hot, but not how Jongdae had intended. 

“You really need your own furs,” Jongdae chastises.

Baekhyun curls into himself, hating how attuned to Jongdae he is, always. “The village isn’t lining up to hand them to me. That’s why I want to learn how to hunt.” 

“Fair enough,” he concedes, chuckling. He takes Baekhyun’s cold hands into his. “You need gloves, too.”

Jongdae’s hands are so much smaller, though more calloused. Baekhyun’s own are developing calluses beneath the quick-to-heal blisters, working with his hands so much. Jongdae turns over his palms and examines the pale scar running diagonally across Baekhyun’s hand with a thoughtful expression. Baekhyun falters, opening his mouth to say something, but no sound comes out. Jongdae lets them fall. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Hunters set out long before sunrise, but with winter approaching, most of the wildlings are busier preparing their stores, careful not to upset the balance of the creatures in the forest when the cold will be hunting them too soon enough.

Thus, Kyungsoo is easier to find, standing by the King’s side at the Blood Tree as he discusses with a group of wildlings about the preparation of their reserves before his pilgrimage. Jongdae will be inside the court with the Queen Mother then, most likely, listening to audiences from the people and trying to assess how to help. 

Baekhyun shifts uncomfortably. He’s not stupid enough to approach Kyungsoo in front of so many other wildlings --and certainly not the King, who is undoubtedly up there with the Queen and Kyungsoo himself on the Baekhyun’s Biggest Fans list-- but he doesn’t have much time before he should return to help Junmyeon with evening chores. 

Debating between returning or waiting it out, Baekhyun’s choice is made for him when the impromptu group splits up, having finally made a decision, and Kyungsoo walks away, heading in Baekhyun’s direction. He watches carefully as Kyungsoo passes, following behind him while remaining out of sight, only for Kyungsoo to turn a sharp corner and to disappear.

Baekhyun stares at the empty space. 

“What do you want?” 

Baekhyun yelps in surprise, an unimpressed Kyungsoo standing behind him.  His fur stands on end.

“You were following me.” Kyungsoo tips his head, beady bird eyes dissecting Baekhyun and pulling him apart. “Why?”

“I wanted to ask you something,” Baekhyun says, swallowing his pride. Kyungsoo’s quiver sits on his back, stocked and full like it’s a marker of his status --Baekhyun can still feel the ghost of pain of his arrowhead sliding through his stomach.

“Spit it out then, wolf.” 

Kyungsoo’s bristling attitude makes Baekhyun’s teeth grind. Why is he doing this again? Oh,  _ right _ , because Jongdae is a manipulative little demon, and Baekhyun is starting to suspect he’s developing a poignant weakness. 

Nonetheless, Baekhyun juts his chin out, wolf pride kicking in. “I want you to teach me how to hunt.”

Kyungsoo stares.

“Is this a joke?” 

“Why would I be joking,” Baekhyun retorts, rhetoric. “I’m serious.” 

“I don’t even know what to say.” Kyungsoo’s owlish eyes blink, once, twice. “On second thought, how about: absolutely not.” 

He turns to walk away, and Baekhyun double steps to catch up with him. “Why not?”

“Because you’re a wolf, because I hate you, because you’re a wolf--” Kyungsoo lists off each item on a finger. “The list is endless, really.”

His dry tone just makes Baekhyun growl. “You’re the head hunter. You teach hunters all the time.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, exasperated. “I teach in the  _ spring _ , when it’s the right season, and my students aren’t  _ murderers _ .” Baekhyun flinches.

“You've killed wolves too,” he mutters lowly. “What makes you and I so different?”

Kyungsoo's fury is clear, jaw clenched, forehead vein sticking out.

“I don’t care if you’ve convinced Jongdae that you’ve ‘changed’ and if every tiefling in the forest falls for it,” he spits. “You are, and always will be, a wolf.” 

Baekhyun stops, rooted in place as Kyungsoo continues forward, unbothered. 

“I’m a tiefling” he calls, saying the word without abandon, without fear. “Just like you.” 

Kyungsoo walks away.

  
  
  
  


“Asking Kyungsoo was a bold choice,” Chanyeol announces as he walks through the door, carrying a cask of juniper wine.

“How do you know about that?” Baekhyun narrows his eyes, continuing to turn the spit, the smoke wafting up through the centre of the redwood. 

“Kyungsoo told Seulgi who told Seungwan who told me,” Chanyeol answers matter-of-factly. “We’re a small village Baekhyunnie!! Nothing escapes us.”

Baekhyun grunts. “Jongdae put me up to it,” he says, keeping his eyes on the fire.

“If Jongdae asked you to jump off a cliff, would you?” Maybe, but Baekhyun doesn’t say that. 

_ Dangerous _ .

“So you hear all the rumours about me too, then.”

“Hmmm maybe.” Chanyeol slips off his furs and holds his hands out over the fire, grinning. “And maybe I started some of them myself.” He winks sleazily. Baekhyun growls. Chanyeol has been coming over a lot to share meals with Baekhyun and Junmyeon, as of late --when Baekhyun had asked Junmyeon about it one morning, he’d simply answered that it had been a routine long before Baekhyun; Chanyeol lives alone after all, but he needs the company. Junmyeon does too, though he hadn’t said that. 

Baekhyun wrinkles his nose. “Doesn’t it bother you?”

Chanyeol watches him, long fox ears flicking. “Do you really think I’m the type to be bothered by something like that?” Baekhyun supposes not, but it can’t be good, really, his damaged reputation and how that affects them, especially after all their kindness. “You shouldn’t think of it as an insult, Baekhyun.”

“But they mean it as an insult,” he argues, frowning. 

“Yeah but I’d be lucky to have a hot young wolf taking me to bed wouldn’t I?” Chanyeol waggles his eyebrows, making Baekhyun huff out a reluctant laugh. “Then again I guess you doing it for manipulative reasons isn’t much of a compliment.” He pouts. Baekhyun just shakes his head --with fondness, of course.

  
  
  
  
  


On the night of the new moon, the King sets out on his pilgrimage, Baekhyun forced to rise at dawn to see him go.

“Isn’t it frivolous to expect the whole village to do this every time?” Baekhyun grunts, hating having to wake so early. Junmyeon frowns at him.

“The King doesn’t expect us to, we do this because we love him and wish to see him off well.” Junmyeon’s sigh tapers off into a short laugh. “I know you’ve only ever seen the side of him that hates wolves, but can you blame him for that? We are at war with you, after all.” Baekhyun turns his gaze down, guilty. “He’s a good King,” Junmyeon says, twisting Baekhyun’s gut around and not even realising. “A  _ loved _ King.” 

The whole village lines up to see the King off, bowing their heads with clapped hands as he passes. He heads the party with his chin held high, three shamans behind him, and Jongdae, at the very back, looking around nervously, uncomfortable. It’s funny, Baekhyun had thought Jongdae might be someone who relished in attention, since he can be so confident and self-assured, but here, with the whole village watching, it seems like Jongdae doesn’t know what to do with it all, forced into clothing he hasn’t grown into yet.

Baekhyun watches him, and as he nears, Jongdae turns, meeting his eyes. Through the crowd Baekhyun claps his hands together and lowers his head briefly, rising and mouthing  _ may the forest be merciful _ . Jongdae smiles at it, wide enough to reach his eyes, and nods once in acknowledgement before following the party forward. It’s only once he’s out of sight that Baekhyun catches Kyungsoo across the way staring at him, his brow furrowed. 

As always, Junmyeon had been swallowed by the crowd while Baekhyun had been pushed out of it, but he wastes no time trying to search the hundreds of faces, instead turning back to return to the redwood.

“What is he, to you?” a voice asks, making Baekhyun jump, fur bristling. 

Kyungsoo stands behind him, searching Baekhyun's face.

“Or better yet,” Kyungsoo corrects, “what are you to him?” 

Baekhyun is speechless, caught off-guard and unsure of what to say, mouth opening but no sound comes out. What is he to Jongdae? Baekhyun doesn't know. But Jongdae, to Baekhyun, he's…

“I wondered how on earth you could be so stupid to think of all the people to teach you to hunt, and choose  _ me _ .” Baekhyun's mouth snaps shut, eyes narrowing a little --but Kyungsoo's point rings true. Baekhyun doesn't want Kyungsoo to teach him as much as Kyungsoo doesn't want to do it, regardless of how qualified he may be. “Then I realised you didn't want this, did you?”

“...No,” Baekhyun answers. “Jongdae suggested it.” 

Kyungsoo is silent. “He must think highly of you, to vouch for you, to seek approval.” His gaze is piercing. “I don't understand it. All those moons the Queen sent me to find him in the forest, he was with  _ you _ . Why?” Baekhyun can see the conflict clear on Kyungsoo's face, torn between his hatred of Baekhyun and his deep trust in Jongdae, his curiosity. “What does he see in you?”

How can Baekhyun answer that? He's always felt unworthy of Jongdae, of his power, his magic, his warmth. Baekhyun assumes Jongdae holds onto him only out of a need to understand, nothing to do about Baekhyun himself. Any wolf could've been stuck by Kyungsoo's arrow, any wolf could've fallen into Jongdae's gentle hands. Nothing about Baekhyun is special.

“I don't know.”

Baekhyun's ears flatten, tail drooping, and a certain sadness roots itself in his chest. He will never be anything worthy of Jongdae, never live up to his warmth, his kindness, and it's foolish for Baekhyun to pretend he could. After all, Baekhyun's presence here is only temporary; Kyungsoo is right, he is and always will be just a wolf.

“Why do you want to learn how to hunt?” Kyungsoo asks, breaking the silence. “Not everyone takes to it, you could learn weapon making, or tanning, or anything else, and trade for what you need. Why hunt?”

_ Why? _ Baekhyun falters. He can learn to make weapons, or pelts, but he'll never be  _ good  _ at it. He succeeds at it to a certain extent, but he has no gift for it, no will to make it his role in the village. Hunting is all Baekhyun has ever had --he  _ wants _ to be a part of the forest, a guardian of the balance, an instinct so deep inside of him he'd never acknowledged until he'd inhaled the true magic of Hel. He wants to prove himself.

“I'm a wolf,” Baekhyun says, raising his head. “It's in my blood.”

Kyungsoo sighs, arms folded over his chest.

“You have no bow,” he points out. “No quiver, no arrows. Make some, and make them well.” Kyungsoo turns. “When you're done, come find me again.” 

Baekhyun is stunned into silence, mouth hanging open like a fool. His tail almost wants to wag in excitement of finally being able to hunt, but his stomach is too distracting with how it’s shriveling up in dread and nervousness. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


“There you are,” Junmyeon says, as Baekhyun returns to the redwood in a daze. “I need your help casting a mirror--”

“Kyungsoo.... Accepted,” Baekhyun mumbles.

“What?”

“Kyungsoo accepted,” he repeats, louder. “He-- he said he’ll teach me how to hunt.” 

Junmyeon stares.

“I didn’t see that coming.”

“Me neither,” Baekhyun agrees with a grunt, slumping onto a nearby chair simply because he feels like he needs to sit down. And maybe go back to sleep. “He said I’ll need a bow.”

“Well--” Junmyeon smiles, filled with pride, and for the first time Baekhyun wonders if maybe he can fit in with the wildlings after all-- “You came to the right place. 

  
  
  
  
  


Junmyeon takes Baekhyun out into the forest the next day, immediately heading towards an area of beech trees to find the perfect sapling. Baekhyun has already learnt how to forage for bow parts, so they find one quickly, using Junmyeon’s short, stone axe to chop it. 

They split the staff in half and tail it so that it’s as tall as Baekhyun, peeling off the bark. Having to use his knife to shave it into shape is a tedious process Baekhyun doesn’t care for, but the smooth result at the end is still satisfying, in its own way. The two ends are bent together by tight twine, but then the wood has to be left to dry and harden, which makes Baekhyun antsy.

Until Junmyeon presents him with making arrows, which is  _ awful _ . He has to strip an ash tree of its branches and then wittle them all into shaft shapes, which have to be straightened over a heated soap stone by rotating it and pressing into the rock’s smooth groove. Baekhyun keeps snapping his shafts before they’re even finished, and he splits them when he tries to fletch --slitting the end to insert three geese feathers so that it will spin, sealing the ends with boar sinew soaked in water, the stench making Baekhyun wrinkle his nose. The arrowheads end up being the easiest part, if only because shaping the flint is no different to what Baekhyun had to do to make his obsidian dagger. 

The end result is a makeshift bow and a bundle of arrows, which Baekhyun doesn’t think look very impressive, but Junmyeon puts a hand on his shoulder and gives him a genuine smile, so they can’t be too bad.

“Look at you,” he says. “You’re ready to be a true tiefling yet.”

Which only sends guilt rolling through Baekhyun’s gut, because no matter how much he tries to fit in, he never truly will --but he longs for it all the same. Surrounded by the wildlings and their magic, all Baekhyun does is want to understand it, to indulge in it, if only for a little while, before he has to betray it all. 

Baekhyun has never fired a bow before, but that’s what Kyungsoo is for, which will probably turn into spears too, Junmyeon mumbles to himself, already planning out how to make one of those, no doubt. Chanyeol comes over with leftover hide to stitch together a quiver, showing Baekhyun how to thread the bone needle with bamboo thread and bring it through the leathers to give it shape. Chanyeol’s trick for quivers, he reveals, is to stitch small branches throughout the quiver to give it a natural shape that rests easily against Baekhyun’s back, perfect for holding arrows.

Seven nights pass, Baekhyun’s bow still drying out, and the new moon pilgrimage makes its return, the village rising to greet them. Jongdae looks beyond exhausted at the back, his eyes shadowed by heavy bags, his feet dragging. It must be tiring, travelling from place to place and doing so much in such a short time… Baekhyun’s heart twinges in sympathy. 

He wants to comfort Jongdae, an urge that surprises him, but he disappears into the crowd and the Blood Tree beyond as soon as the King makes his speech about the pilgrimage being successful, that they have welcomed the winter well, and it will be merciful in return. The words mean nothing, to Baekhyun; the cold will always be unforgiving. 

Dinner is special, to celebrate winter. Rice harvested from the riverbeds mixed with nuts and seeds and berries and rabbit meat, served with a myriad of other side dishes Junmyeon puts into small wooden bowls, shared with Chanyeol of course. 

He’s midway through telling a story about an elder’s ridiculous request for new hide coverings for his house when there’s a tap at the shutters of the redwood window. Baekhyun pauses mid-laugh, standing to open it.

“Hi,” Jongdae says. “I’ve had enough of my brother to last a lifetime. Can I hide here?” 

“As fond as you are of that window, Prince, we do have a door,” Junmyeon says coolly by the fire, Chanyeol snickering into his side. Jongdae frowns, sighing before shutting the covers and presumably rounding the redwood to knock on the door. Junmyeon stands to open it. “Please, come in.” 

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Junmyeon’s smile is wry and far too amused. “There are leftovers, if you would like some.”

“Please.” Jongdae nods. “I’m starving.” 

He plops next to Baekhyun and their shoulders brush, sending shivers down his spine. Junmyeon returns to the raised area where he’d prepared the food, spooning servings into small carved bowls. 

“So how was your journey?” Chanyeol asks, bouncing in his seat a little. “...Prince,” he adds, as an afterthought. 

“Exhausting,” Jongdae answers, sighing to show it. “But… fulfilling. I thought I’d hate it since my brother forced me into it, but it wasn’t that bad.” He stares into the fire, making his gold eyes shine even brighter than usual.

“It must’ve been nice to see so much of the forest,” Baekhyun says. Jongdae softens.

“It was, but my feet are killing me.”

Chanyeol snorts in agreement.

“And the Forest’s Heart?” Junmyeon asks. “What was that like?”

“Incredible,” Jongdae admits, inhaling deeply. “I’ve never felt magic like that before, and watching the ritual for the blessing… it was mesmerizing. The forest’s song was  _ so _ loud.” 

“I wish I could see it.” Chanyeol pouts. From what Baekhyun can tell, the pilgrimage is only for those blessed by the forest --i.e the royals, and the shamans. It’s sacrilege for any wildling to enter the Heart within the deep forest if not for the blessing of a new moon. “Spirits, I’d even settle for just being able to  _ hear _ the forest.”

“It’s not that great,” Baekhyun mumbles. 

Silence stretches on for too long, and when Baekhyun finally looks up from the fire, Junmyeon and Chanyeol are staring at him.

“You… you can hear the forest?” Chanyeol blurts.

Jongdae blinks, tail flicking. “You guys… didn’t know?”

“He never mentioned it!!! What the fuck!!!?!?”

Junmyeon laughs once, shaking his head. “That explains a lot.” 

“What?” Baekhyun asks, getting defensive. He knew it was uncommon, but… “What’s so special about it?”

“Baekhyun, the forest only sings to people it wants to hear it. It means you’ve been chosen!” Chanyeol flaps his hands excitedly. “If people in Hel knew, I bet it’d work in your favour--” 

Baekhyun frowns. “I don’t want to be accepted for something that’s beyond my control. Hearing its song doesn’t mean anything.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “As honourable as that sounds, I think you were just a little too blasphemous for it to stick.” His smile is coy. “You two should see how much the forest favours him. Baekhyun could ask for it to send a herd of deer to die at his feet for furs and it probably would, that’s why it’s so cute that puppy wants to hunt.”

His frustration grows. “It doesn’t favour me,” Baekhyun bites in, tasting acid. “I’ve just spilt blood for it too many times to count.” 

The room freezes as if turned to ice, and suddenly the fire doesn’t seem so warm. Their faces all fall in the silence, and guilt bubbles in Baekhyun so suddenly he wants to throw up. The guilt has always sat with Baekhyun, heavy and weighted, but now it hits like a hurricane. Those wildlings he killed, sentinels are often hunters, warriors, just like Baekhyun. Were their weapons made by Junmyeon? Their leathers by Chanyeol? How often did they see Jongdae in the village --how often did he smile at them? They lived a life no different to Baekhyun’s now, and he  _ ended _ it, ended it because he thought it would bring him redemption.

Tieflings may not be demons, but Baekhyun certainly is. 

“Every tiefling makes offerings to the forest,” Jongdae says, putting a hand on Baekhyun’s knee. “We’ve all spilt more blood in its name than you ever have, tiefling or not, and I’ve still never heard it sing to anyone the way it sings to you.” Baekhyun swallows. “The forest is death and darkness, but it’s also life and light. It would’ve sung to you long before you ever spilt blood inside it.”  Baekhyun nods, a shallow gesture. Jongdae smiles, linking their hands. “Then see? It favours you because it sees the light in your spirit, Baekhyun. Not the shadows.” 

Or maybe it favours him because it sees both, knows his hunger like it knows its own. But Baekhyun doesn’t say that --Jongdae’s eyes are so hopeful, wishing to break through, and Baekhyun realises in this moment that he can’t deny Jongdae anything. The blood on Baekhyun’s hands belong to him, and his time here… he’s pretending to scrub it clear, all while knowing he’s just adding more. 

How is Baekhyun meant to stomach it all? The thought of the King killing all the wildlings of Hel makes him sick, but to lose Baekbeom…

“I hope you’re right,” Baekhyun mutters, quickly learning he can’t deny Jongdae anything. 

Jongdae smiles, brighter than a thousand suns --for Baekhyun, it  _ burns _ . 

The silence stretches, pensive and thick as Baekhyun and Jongdae look at each other until Junmyeon clears his throat. 

“Are you enjoying the food Your Highness?”

“Oh! Yes, it’s delicious.” The atmosphere snaps, just like that, dissolving and leaving Baekhyun dizzy. “And you can just call me Jongdae. I don’t really care for formalities, you know, especially in such close quarters.” He gives a coy kittenish smile, tail flicking.

“Oh he’s good,” Chanyeol points out, turning to Junmyeon. “I can see how he charmed a wolf.”

Baekhyun growls in the back of his throat; Jongdae cackles. 

“Is he the reason Kyungsoo accepted?” Junmyeon asks Baekhyun, visibly amused. 

“Kyungsoo accepted what?” Jongdae tips his head, then his ears perk up in realisation. “He’s going to teach you to hunt???” He crowds on Baekhyun.

“Yes…” Baekhyun answers, pulling away. 

“Wow, and I didn’t even need to berate him into it.” Jongdae laughs. “That’s a first.”

He may not have berated him into it, but Kyungsoo had made it clear Jongdae is still the reason he’d even bother looking at Baekhyun and not killing him on the spot. Not for the first time, Baekhyun wonders what Kyungsoo and Jongdae are to each other, and why the thought settles so bitterly inside him. 

Talk of Kyungsoo turns into Junmyeon and Chanyeol speaking about all the things they’d forced Baekhyun into making over the week, which then turns to Jongdae excitedly asking to see it all, eyes sparkling. Baekhyun does so with reluctance, but Jongdae’s excitement is contagious, and his praise endless --he makes Baekhyun feel like hope is attainable, somehow, and that’s a very bad thing. 

When Jongdae grins at him as Baekhyun shows him his arrows, placing a hand on his shoulder and telling him he’s going to do great, he has to turn away, staring into the fire until the golden flames burn blood red. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


His first morning with Kyungsoo is long before dawn, when Hel is still dark and lit only by the starnights, quieter than the whisper of wind between the trees. Baekhyun had tracked him down through the village the night prior, dumping his bow and quiver at Kyungsoo’s feet wordlessly like a prize. He’d grunted, told him to meet him the forest before sunrise, and that was that. 

Baekhyun is disgruntled, cold and sleep-deprived. The last thing he feels is the resilience to deal with someone who hates his guts, but here he is. 

“You’re late,” Kyungsoo states, standing at the end of the bridge that leads from Hel to the forest. 

“How can you even tell,” Baekhyun grumbles, staring at the dark sky above them and adjusting the strap of his quiver. He’s not used to the weight of his weapons along his back. Kyungsoo stares at him. “Are we hunting or not?”

“ _ You _ are hunting,” Kyungsoo corrects, crossing his feather-dappled arms over his chest. “I need to see what you know, wolf.” 

Which is a little daunting, but Baekhyun doesn’t want to be intimidated by Kyungsoo, heading into the forest as Kyungsoo follows wordlessly behind. The ground is icy and his breath fogs in front of his face, so Baekhyun doubles his pacing in an attempted to warm himself further, the distinct lack of furs taking its toll as the winter deepens. Without his heightened demon senses it’s difficult to latch on to the scent of prey, so Baekhyun scans the forest floor for tracks.

“No,” Kyungsoo says as soon as Baekhyun latches on to some. “Those are days old, you’ll get nowhere.”

He grits his teeth, turning and searching for more. 

“Prey have territories, just like we do,” Kyungsoo says, disinterested. “You can’t just wander aimlessly. It’s pointless.”

Baekhyun’s fangs are going to be ground flat, at this stage. 

“Then what do you suggest?” He manages to say it without a growl, somehow. 

“Teaching will come later, wolf.”

Baekhyun inhales to calm down and stop himself from shoving one of his arrows into Kyungsoo’s gut --half out of annoyance, half out of  _ payback _ . Kyungsoo’s flat disinterest and annoyed tone only boil Baekhyun’s irritation further, especially so early in the morning. But that’s probably what Kyungsoo wants, for Baekhyun to opt out so Kyungsoo doesn’t have to, and prove that wolves are exactly as useless as he says. Baekhyun won’t give in so easily. 

_ He wants blood _ , the forest whispers, singing softly to Baekhyun’s ears.  _ And we can give you blood _ . 

Can Kyungsoo hear their song? Baekhyun risks a glance behind him, seeing no inclination that he’d heard the offer, still fixing Baekhyun with a flat look. Jongdae  _ had _ mentioned that the so-called gift was rare, so…

_ Take me to my prey _ , Baekhyun tells it.

_ Your prey is right behind you _ .

Well…  _ no _ . Baekhyun blinks, unsure of how to tell an entire demonic magical forest that he’s moved on from the whole… murder thing. 

_ He angers you _ , it whispers.  _ Take his magic _ . 

Baekhyun flinches, unused to the forest being so violent, since he hasn’t entered it with bloodlust in a long time. His mind tingles, then, with thoughts that don’t belong to him, images of blood filling his mouth, the surge of power, a wolf howling to the moon.

Baekhyun shakes his head vigorously to get rid of them, causing Kyungsoo to arch an eyebrow. He surges forward.

_ Take me to my prey _ , Baekhyun tries again, more forceful, and conjures up images of deer with leaves on their antlers and rabbits with glowing fur and horns. The trees shy away at his anger towards them, creaking as they bend back. The wind nudges him forward. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes narrow, but he says nothing, still following as Baekhyun listens to the whispering of the wind, guiding him. He spots deer tracks not too far from a sapling it must’ve been grazing, the sap still oozing where the limbs were torn, indicating that it’s recent. Kyungsoo doesn’t give any scolding comments, so Baekhyun assumes he must be on the right path, following the hoof prints through the underbrush. 

Eventually, through the trees, Baekhyun spots it, an old buck with broken antlers, autumnal red-gold leaves still being shed, and patches of missing fur. It’s the perfect candidate to hunt in the winter without upsetting the balance, evidently a victim of too many lost mating wars, destined to die soon, gifted to him by the forest itself. 

Baekhyun crouches turning to Kyungsoo behind him and staring to ask,  _ now what _ .

Kyungsoo looks at the bow on Baekhyun’s back pointedly, and Baekhyun flusters, wondering how to explain with hand gestures that he’s never shot before. He picks up the bow and waves it around emphatically to demonstrate, which causes Kyungsoo to roll his eyes before plucking an arrow and handing it to him anyway. Baekhyun had trained in archery only briefly in the barracks of Greykeep, but it was only the basics, many summers ago, and the bows were smaller, made with different techniques.

Baekhyun’s arrows aren’t poisoned, so even if he lands the shot he’ll be chasing this buck for a long time. Nevertheless, he knocks his arrow and draws the string, aiming carefully before firing. 

The arrow sails through the air with determination, all before landing in a nearby oak trunk with a thunk, startling the buck into running away, not even close. 

“Not sure what you expected,” Baekhyun grumbles. Kyungsoo hums. 

“Fire again,” he orders. “This time, aim for the same tree where that arrow is.” 

Baekhyun locks his jaw before doing exactly that, missing by a mile so that the arrow sails until it embeds in the ground. He droops. 

“I’m not used to using a bow,” he admits.

“I can tell, your posture is awful. Try again.” Kyungsoo points to a different target, and Baekhyun does as he’s told, missing for the umpteenth time. Kyungsoo tilts his head. “How much combat training do you have?” 

“Plenty.” Baekhyun bristles. “But I trained with the polearms most.” Which is what he’d  _ hoped _ he’d be able to use to hunt --or at least a spear-- but wildlings are much more fond of their poisoned arrows, using spears and polearms only to finish the job, preferring not to risk the closed distance. 

“Close range, then.” Baekhyun nods. Kyungsoo walks forward, Baekhyun’s working eye tracking him. “Have you ever fired a bow?”

“A few times,” Baekhyun admits. “Before I was a full wolf.” 

Kyungsoo pulls the arrow out of the tree stump, walking back as he examines its asymmetrical flint head. 

“So before you were a part of the Hunt,” he clarifies. “And before a tiefling gave you that.”

He gestures to the lilac, curved scar of Baekhyun’s blinded left eye, his fingers flying to it self-consciously. 

“Yes.”

Kyungsoo hums again, handing the arrow back.

“All senses are needed to hunt,” he says. “But eyes are the most important when it comes to shooting. You only have one.” 

Baekhyun swallows, fear curling his gut. “What’re you saying?”

“Having only one eye affects your vision. I don’t think you’ll be able to hunt with an injury like that.”

Baekhyun’s heart stops.

“What?” he snaps. “How come?”

“You don’t judge distance and space the same way two eyes should,” Kyungsoo says, his voice flat. “You’ve probably never noticed because you’ve adjusted to it in the short range, but with something like this…”

“Then I’ll just use spears,” Baekhyun bargains. “I’m better with them close-range--”

“And how are you going to throw them?” Kyungsoo asks, tilting his head. “If you can’t shoot an arrow, you won’t be able to throw a spear. No animal will let you get close enough to just stab it.” 

Baekhyun’s nails dig into his palms, breaking the skin. 

_ We would let you _ , the forest whispers, seductive,  _ if you gave us something in return _ .

He retracts them quickly, letting the tears seal up and wiping the blood off on his tunic.

“No, I--” Baekhyun cuts off, swallowing. “This is all I have. All I’ve  _ ever _ had.” Every tiefling in Hel has their role, and Baekhyun knows deep in his bones, in his  _ blood, _ that this is his, and yet Kyungsoo fixes him with no sympathy, just the blunt truth.

“Accept it, wolf.” Kyungsoo shrugs, like Baekhyun’s world isn’t crumbling around him. “Maybe learn how to make better bows instead.”

_ Blood _ , the forest sings, over and over again, ringing in Baekhyun’s ears so loudly he has to cover them, doubling over. His breaths come in short, and Baekhyun remembers the night he got his scar, the tear of a wolfsbane dagger through the flesh of his eye. 

When he calms down enough to look up, Kyungsoo is just watching him, patient.

“Come,” he says softly. “Let’s collect your last arrow and return.”

Numb, Baekhyun has no choice to obey, rising steadily before following Kyungsoo through the forest. He knows the way back to Hel, but Baekhyun still feels lost.

  
  
  
  


“Back so soon?” Junmyeon asks with a smile as Baekhyun enters the redwood house, his face falling the moment he sees Baekhyun’s expression.

“I can’t hunt,” he says, voice shaking. “I-- my eye--” 

Junmyeon softens with sympathy, though Baekhyun refuses to be any more vulnerable than he already is. Junmyeon gives Baekhyun the day off to do as he pleases, since he would’ve spent the whole day hunting to begin with. Baekhyun begs him for work regardless, for something to do, for some sense of purpose beyond being a fuck-up and a murderer, and Junmyeon relents, sending him into the forest to search for materials he and Baekhyun both know he’ll struggle to find. 

The magic of the forest is calming, at least, when it’s not responding to Baekhyun’s bloodlust, simply filling his lungs and spreading out to his fingertips. Instead, it seems to sense his sadness, his loss, trying to fill out all the empty space. It doesn’t work, but Baekhyun appreciates the sentiment all the same. 

Slowly, as he wanders through the trees and lets the cool winter sun warm his skin, Baekhyun begins to relent to the inevitability of it all. There’s no place for him, not in the city he betrayed by leaving and the forest he betrays by staying.  _ Home _ , to Baekhyun, was all the little moments he shared with Baekbeom, and even now those are put at risk because he’s so useless, worthless and unskilled, no place for him in either world. Half-human, half-demon.

_ Give yourself to us, wolf, _ the forest sings, tearing Baekhyun from his reverie as he searches for the small clustered mushrooms Chanyeol likes in his stew so much, hard to find in the cold.  _ Your home is here _ . 

Baekhyun blinks, staring down at the ground. Small roots have begun to stretch out of the ground, brushing and curling along his boots and up his legs, seeking warmth, seeking blood. 

Baekhyun hesitates.

He tears his feet forward, hearing the pathetic cries of the broken roots behind him. 

“I belong to no one,” he says firmly, locking his jaw. He may have no place in Greykeep nor Hel, but that doesn’t mean he’ll forsake his freedom to find one. Not anymore.

_ But that’s not true, is it? _

The collar at his throat burns. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Junmyeon and Chanyeol tiptoe around Baekhyun after that, which is almost worse than the initial disgust and mistrust they’d had towards him at the start. Being handled like he’s delicate is infuriating, and it makes Baekhyun want to claw his eye out just so everyone will stop looking at it with pity. 

He buries himself into helping Junmyeon, even though trades are slow as the winter freezes around them, slowing time itself. What little of Jongdae Baekhyun sees are only in glimpses, flashes of black and gold from the corner of his eye when he’s in the village, too quick to catch. 

As the full moon approaches, Chanyeol is quick to track Baekhyun down for him to help with the preparations again. Building the fire and laying out the skins, hanging decorations and preparing the food. Chanyeol even introduces the new task of painting the trees around the centre of the village, messy lines and dots and waves and handprints in paint made from egg and crushed river stones. Chanyeol scratches his face at one stage and smears paint all over it in the process, causing Baekhyun to laugh. He pretends not to notice the way Chanyeol looks relieved.

At the very least, the villagers are beginning to warm up to Baekhyun, some of them even calling him by name as they call him over to help, rather than ‘wolf’. It’s not much, but the apprehension surrounding him has dissipated as he’s proved his stumbling capabilities --and not murdered anyone. Besides, Baekhyun is beginning to suspect some of them pity him, a wolf with no home, no purpose. 

This time Junmyeon joins in with little hassling, bundled in his furs and grumbling about it as Chanyeol teases him for being cold-blooded. Baekhyun too, has his own furs now, secondhand and decrepit, bartered for by Junmyeon. At least they keep him warm. They gather around the fire and eat and drink and even though Baekhyun feels that nibble at the back of his mind that he doesn’t belong here, he ignores it, happy to at least have been considered enough to be involved. 

This time, when the music begins, Baekhyun is more familiar with it, though he sings softer without Jongdae’s voice to drown him out, searching the gathering to find his face and failing to find it. 

“Come with me,” Chanyeol says at one stage, dragging Baekhyun away. “I think you should see this.”

Away from the main bonfire, another pit is headed by an old woman, a shaman, given by her staff and longer robes, surrounded by young wildlings, not even old enough to shift. 

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun mutters in warning, uncertain being one of the only adults here, but Chanyeol just waves his hands to quieten him and the young wildlings move aside easily to let Chanyeol’s oversized body plop in the middle of the back, eagerly paying attention. Baekhyun slowly sinks beside him, shoulders raised in embarrassment. At least Chanyeol fits in. 

The shaman doesn’t raise her voice, and that just makes them all lean in with attention anyway, hanging onto her every word. She tells the story of the First Ones, far more in depth than Baekhyun has ever heard it. She speaks of the first spirit born, the sun, how it fragmented itself to make life, the stars, the ocean, the mountains, how its brightest spark embedded into the dirt to create the forest’s heart, growing and flourishing around it with magic. The First Ones were born when a great seed fell from the Blood Tree, and they lived in the forest peacefully, guarded and lead by the First Tieflings, imbued with the forest’s spirit to protect it. However, one human grew greedy, jealous, corrupting their own spirit, the very essence of themselves, flowing through their veins. They sought this power for themselves, harvesting the forest’s magic and manipulating it. They shared this knowledge with other humans, tainted spirit spreading like a disease.

The King, Baekhyun realises, it  _ has _ to be who she speaks of, right?

Together, they culled the forest, and made a dead heart for themselves, imprisoning tieflings of the forest and using them as their own gain to forever punish the spirits of the forest guardians. The story is mesmerizing, and incredibly chilling. It’s so wildly different to what Baekhyun had been taught, he wonders what the truth is. Perhaps the sun fragmenting its spirit isn’t more ridiculous than twelve gods making life for the sake of it, but Baekhyun struggles to believe either.

If the Twelve made life then who made  _ them _ ? And if the sun shattered to make all life then… what made the sun? How could a fragment of life turn into  _ earth _ ?

The stories are entertaining nonetheless, though they leave Baekhyun with more questions than answers. Chanyeol certainly seems to enjoy them, reacting with claps and  _ oohs _ and  _ aahs _ alongside all the children.

They disperse only because the night grows late and the children should return home for bed --Baekhyun overhears two siblings conspiring to watch the shifting from the window, anyway, wondering when they’ll be old enough to shift themselves. He smiles to himself. 

They rejoin Junmyeon by the fire who’s laughing at something Joohyun must’ve said as he sips a cask of juniper wine.

“Chanyeollieee,” he croons as soon as he sees him, tugging Chanyeol down to his height by wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and pulling him down, touching their foreheads. “I love youuuu.” 

“Okay so you’re super drunk.” Chanyeol peels himself away, though his face is red. Junmyeon slumps against his chest, giggling. “You’re ruthless,” he tells Joohyun.

She shrugs. “He’s an adult, he makes his own choices.” 

“Well, I’m going to have to take him home then,” Chanyeol says, turning to Baekhyun. “Do you…?”

“I--” He’s cut off by a movement of gold and black from the corner of his eye, the magic of the full moon in his blood fluctuating suddenly. “I want to stay.”

“That’s cool, it’s still new to you, I get it.” Chanyeol claps him on the shoulder. “Have fun, Baekhyunnie.” He gives Baekhyun a cheeky grin before tugging Junmyeon towards the redwood. Baekhyun steps back, trailing the direction that he’d sensed Jongdae. 

His wolf is restless, aching for the moon and yearning for something else Baekhyun can't decipher. He smothers the urge, heightened senses tracking Jongdae down to the Blood Tree, flattening himself behind one of the nearby tree pillars as he spots the King and Queen.

“--Can't you just let me go?” Jongdae is saying. “It's the full moon. I let you leash me all month but just  _ once _ \--”

“You can't run from your duty when it inconveniences you,” the King argues. “Everyone has things they don't want to do, Jongdae. Life isn't one long party.”

“Do you really think I believe that it is?” Jongdae growls. “Spirits! All I try to do is something  _ I _ actually want to and you act like I'm going to abandon all of Hel.”

“We're a family, Jongdae,” the Queen says, Baekhyun leaning forward to watch her cup Jongdae's cheek. “That means we rule together. I won't be here forever, so your brother needs you to share the duty--”

“Don’t say that,” Jongdae interjects, his hand squeezing his mother's. “You're too stubborn to die.”

She smiles, and Baekhyun feels voyeuristic, preying on a family moment he isn't privy to. He should leave, he  _ should _ , but…

“I know you think we're harsh.” The Queen softens, as does Jongdae. “But we just want to make sure you're ready for your destiny. You're a Prince, Jongdae. Protecting and serving our people is in your blood.”

Jongdae sighs. “Can’t I have a break?” he asks meekly. “Just this once.”

There’s a stretch of silence, the King and Queen exchanging glances.

“After the blessing,” Jongdeok bargains; Jongdae whines. “ _ Then _ you can go. But if you run away again, I’ll have Kyungsoo kill you for good.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Jongdae says. He smiles, barely-there. “But you should know Kyungsoo is too soft for something like that.”

Baekhyun resists the urge to scoff, trying to put  _ Kyungsoo _ and  _ soft _ together and failing miserably. Jongdeok laughs.

“Come on,” he walks forward. “The people are expecting us.”

Baekhyun steps back, waiting outside for the royals to walk towards the bonfire as he sticks to the shadows of the trees beyond it. The royals give their blessing, to the moon, to the spirits, to their ancestors, and to the winter, and once the King is done Jongdae and his mother affirm it, bowing their heads and clapping their hands as the crowd follows suit before cheering, shifting and running off, the music twice as loud. 

Jongdae lingers for a while, Baekhyun watching carefully, before Jongdeok gives him an eyeroll and waves him off, a mischievous grin splitting Jongdae’s face as he slips away. Baekhyun’s ears perk up, tracking him, hoping they could share the full moon together, like last time--

Jongdae disappears out of sight on the other side of the Blood Tree, and Baekhyun falters, blinking as he creeps forward to follow.

“Enjoy eavesdropping?”

He yelps, Jongdae now standing behind him with a coy smile, tail flicking.

“Don’t  _ do _ that,” Baekhyun growls, a hand over his hammering heart. Jongdae’s grin grows wider. “How did you…?”

“I’d smell you a mile away, puppy.” Baekhyun’s face falls, mortified. “But don’t worry, only because I’m used to it. I doubt they noticed you.”

He exhales in relief. “I was looking for you,” Baekhyun admits. “I…” What should he say? That he wants to share the full moon with Jongdae, that he hasn’t seen Jongdae as much as he’d like to, that some part of him yearns for Jongdae the same way mountains yearn for the sky? That he  _ misses _ him even in all the little moments, plain and simple, the way stars miss the sun.

Jongdae softens “I was looking for you too, just waiting for the right moment to escape.” He smiles, circling Baekhyun’s wrist. “C’mon. Tell me how hunting with Kyungsoo was.”

Baekhyun’s stomach shrivels up, and he droops, even as they traverse the forest to reach their grove. 

“A failure,” Baekhyun admits, voice weak. “He said with my eye, I can’t…”

“Oh.” Jongdae stops. “Oh, Baekhyun…” His hand lifts to cup Baekhyun’s face, thumb rubbing over the scar at the top of his cheek.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Baekhyun pushes his hand away.

“You can’t give up that easily,” Jongdae implores. “There must be some way--”

“ _ I don’t want to talk about it, _ ” Baekhyun insists, growling. Jongdae steps back. 

“Fine.” His eyes look sad, and guilt rolls through Baekhyun in waves. “Then we won’t talk.” 

Jongdae continues walking forward, and as he does he pulls off his clothes, dropping them to the ground and shifting. He circles back around to scoop them up in his maw, then bounds ahead to look back at Baekhyun with one black paw raised, head tilted in an unspoken question. 

Baekhyun begins to lift up his tunic before feeling self-conscious and turning so that his back is towards Jongdae, ignoring the rumbling kitty laugh behind him. He shifts, picking his clothes up in a similar fashion, and follows Jongdae forward, breathing in the magic and sighing through his nose as it fills out his demon form. It just feels right, in the forest with Jongdae, running, and all of Baekhyun’s guilt and worries fade away until only the present, until only  _ this, _ is left. 

They reach their grove and place their clothes down near the entrance, Baekhyun watching as Jongdae approaches the water’s edge. He never ceases to find his demon form entrancing, the sleek sheen to his subtly-spotted fur and the power behind his huge limbs, the agility of his curling tail. Jongdae is always mesmerising, and Baekhyun can’t take his eyes off of him as he paces the water’s edge before crouching, tail high in the air before pouncing over it.

Baekhyun barks. Show-off. 

He rounds the pond and tackles Jongdae immediately, mouthing at his scruff as Jongdae growls. They play fight until Baekhyun is exhausted and panting, surrendering by rolling onto his back and whining. Jongdae flops on top of him, making him squirm, before starting to groom his face,  _ really _ making Baekhyun squirm. 

He stops only once Baekhyun growls in warning, and leaps away, circling a nearby tree with side-to-side motions that make Baekhyun tilt his head curiously before jumping onto its branch. Even as Jongdae leaps between trees he does it, always swaying and being extra cautious. Strange. 

Baekhyun is so caught up in watching the power behind each of Jongdae’s leaps he forgets to dodge when it’s directed at him, tackled down to the ground again, Jongdae nuzzling into his side affectionately in a way that only wolf Baekhyun can handle. He shifts, then, laughing into Baekhyun’s fur and inhaling deeply, running his hands through it.

“So warm…” Jongdae mumbles, cuddling closer and scratching around Baekhyun’s ears and face, making his tail thump against the ground when he comes across a particular spot under his chin and abuses it. Jongdae laughs into his ear, but the feeling is too good to pull back, Baekhyun’s head craning forward to seek more of Jongdae’s fingers in his fur. 

He stops, and Baekhyun whines, pawing at him before resting his chin on Jongdae’s lap, looking up at him imploringly with demon puppy-eyes. Jongdae coos under his breath, rubbing Baekhyun’s ears gently. His eyes slip shut, enjoying the attention.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it,” Jongdae says softly, voice low, “but I wasn’t lying. You can’t give up so easily, not when it comes to this.” Baekhyun wriggles, pushing his snout further into Jongdae’s stomach. Less talking more patting. “You  _ wanted _ this, and when you want something you can’t let it go no matter what. That’s not the stubborn puppy I know.” 

Baekhyun grumbles in the back of his throat, face scrunching as he presses in closer, too afraid to open his eyes. 

“Something like this shouldn’t stop anyone, least of all you.” Jongdae thumbs over Baekhyun’s eye scar continuously until ever so slowly, he relaxes, sighing through his nose. “You can find a way around it. I’m sure of it.” 

Impulsive, Baekhyun opens his eyes to look up at Jongdae, seeing the fond expression on his face as he pats Baekhyun with an amount of tenderness he doesn’t deserve. Human emotions bubble up so strongly they overpower wolf instincts, making him whimper as guilt mixes with affection and adoration and self-loathing. How is Baekhyun meant to do anything  _ except _ let go of everything he wants, when he doesn’t deserve any of it to begin with? 

Freedom, privilege, power, Jongdae. Baekhyun is beneath it all. 

Baekhyun pulls back, pretending to take the excuse to stretch, and pads into the trees, glancing back only to see Jongdae roll his eyes at his avoidant tactics before shifting to follow. He leaps into the trees again, always moving before jumping between branches. Baekhyun’s trot slows to a stop as he watches Jongdae, crouched low and tail flicking as he gives chase but drooping to a stop as Baekhyun ends the game.

He shifts. “Why do you always do that?” he asks.

Jongdae tilts his head, still in the trees. His fur recedes. “Do what?”

“Before you leap,” Baekhyun clarifies. “You… move a lot.”

Jongdae, sitting on the branch with his feet dangling hums in thought. “Well, it’s an instinct. It helps me work out the best vantage point I guess.” His tail flicks. “Why?”

“It’s strange,” Baekhyun answers. “I’m just unfamiliar with cats.”

“Yeah?” Jongdae smiles, coy. “Because I’m pretty good with puppies.” He slips down, landing crouched. “Want to find out more?” 

He stalks closer, and shifts mid-stride until he’s headbutting Baekhyun’s hip, rubbing his face and whiskers against it. He continues to circle around Baekhyun, making him laugh under his breath, tail brushing and nearly tipping him backwards. Baekhyun tentatively reaches down to scratch between Jongdae’s ears, and he begins to purr, a deep, satisfied rumble that makes Baekhyun smile. 

Jongdae’s rubbing tips Baekhyun off balance so that he’s sitting, laughing as he falls, and Jongdae’s huge paws begin swatting at his hands to press them closer, pushing for more pats. His head rolls in Baekhyun’s lap as he sinks his fingers into the soft fur of Jongdae’s belly, his tail flopping around happily, whiskers tickling Baekhyun’s skin. Jongdae’s paws lock around one arm to pull it towards him, licking along the hairs there and purring as he does so, eyes shut. 

“Always with the grooming...” Baekhyun mutters with an amount of fondness he can’t hold back, repositioning his arm so Jongdae can properly groom. It fucking  _ hurts _ , his tongue barbed and designed for tearing flesh off of bones and unknotting thick fur, but Baekhyun doesn’t say that, just keeps wiggling so that the same patch of skin won’t be too torn. Eye for an eye, pat for a pat. 

Eventually Jongdae grows too tired, yawning and showing off his elongated fangs before flopping on Baekhyun altogether, rumbling at his ministrations. He’s heavy, but just so soft, the spots in his fur visible from so close, and every shift of his loose, flexible limbs only alerts Baekhyun to the power behind them. He sighs, continuing to pat Jongdae with lazy affection while staring up at the stars, thinking how each one is meant to be a fragment of the sun’s spirit, broken to heal its loneliness yet banished to the night because when awake it shines too brightly. It must be lonely.

Jongdae makes a small noise in the back of his throat, a quiet  _ mrrp _ while looking up at Baekhyun with imploring golden eyes, asking what he’s thinking about. Baekhyun exhales slowly.

“In Greykeep, we’re taught that everything in life is made by the twelve,” he starts. “The god of the sun fell in love with the god of the moon, and the night god grew jealous, locking them apart. The stars are the moon god’s tears, forever missing their lover…” Jongdae purrs almost thoughtfully, gazing up at the sky. “The sky is the home of the gods, where the sky god rules, but the god of earth fell one day and became the land. Their broken bones became mountains and their tears became rivers over their chest.

“Life was sent to the lonely earth god as a gift from the god of sky, the moon god sent the oceans, the fire god sent warmth, and the night god sent shadows and corruption, to ruin the other’s gifts.

“It’s just so different to what you are taught to believe,” Baekhyun finishes, staring down at Jongdae’s blinking face, his tail flicking curiously. It’s somehow easier to say all of this, knowing Jongdae can’t say anything back. “I don’t know which one is the truth.”

Jongdae huffs through his nose, perhaps in agreement. It seems… nicer, to believe that life is only a cascade of itself, that there aren’t some benevolent holier-than-thou figures watching and judging their every move; at the same time it seems… lonelier. And more uncertain. People themselves are such complicated creatures, how could they be born through coincidence alone?

Jongdae rolls onto his feet then, stretching and wiggling his toes, revealing his menacing claws before they slot back in. He purrs, knocking his head lightly against Baekhyun’s shoulder, then rubs his face against it before pressing their foreheads together.

“What?” Jongdae tips his heads towards the entrance of the grove, where their clothes are piled up. “Oh, we should go back…” Baekhyun doesn’t  _ want _ to, but the chill is biting and they won’t last once the magic of the full moon wears off. Baekhyun scratches Jongdae’s face just for the hell of it, between his ears and under his chin just to hear him purr. “Good kitty,” he teases, inhaling the rich scent of Jongdae’s sweet-scented magic before standing. “Let’s go.” 


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

 

Baekhyun rises before dawn, creeping so as not to wake Junmyeon and grabbing his bow and quiver by the door before toeing out, shutting it gently behind him. Jongdae’s words are rooted in his chest, something to always lean back on,  _ when you want something you can’t let it go, no matter what.  _

He goes to the grove, ignoring the whispers of the trees around him as he notches an arrow to his bow and aims for a nearby trunk. Baekhyun moves from side to side to watch how the other other trees around it move to give him a sense of depth, then fires.

Miss.

He tries again, getting it closer, and misses over and over and over until he’s all out of arrows and has to walk forward to collect them all, returning to his place. He continues moving, using the cue of how everything shifts across his eye to tell him how far apart it all is, and moves his head to the left to make sure his eye is facing his target dead on, rather than at an angle. He fires.

The arrow lands. 

Baekhyun, alone in the forest as the wind howls around him, the sun cresting over the horizon and breaking through the clouds, grins.

  
  
  
  
  


Chanyeol sings as he works, which would usually irritate Baekhyun but today he’s in a good mood and just finds it endearing, holding up two pieces of hide as Chanyeol stitches it into a tent. The new moon pilgrimage will be soon, and the Prince requested a new tent. When Chanyeol had said as much, Baekhyun had instantly offered to help, making Chanyeol smug. He’d bickered with Junmyeon over Baekhyun’s duties not being up to share, but Junmyeon had let him go all the same. 

“When we’re done,” Baekhyun starts, as nonchalant as possible. “I can deliver this.”

“Oh  _ can _ you?” Chanyeol asks, smiling.

“If you want.” Baekhyun shrugs, focusing down at his hands. Chanyeol rolls his eyes.

“Yeah yeah, you can go visit your Prince.”

“He’s your Prince too.” Baekhyun frowns.

“Not in the same way though.” Chanyeol winks. Baekhyun just forces himself to look down again.

“Hey, Chanyeol…” Baekhyun starts as Chanyeol is finishing up, instructing Baekhyun to hold the last piece in place, the smell of woodfire smoke from Chanyeol preparing the skins still strong. “What does touching foreheads mean to wildlings?”

It’s been bothering him for awhile now --Baekhyun keeps forgetting to ask. 

“Tieflings,” Chanyeol corrects, because Baekhyun is always slipping up like that. “And it’s… well, a gesture of closeness and fondness, I guess. Why?” 

He’d watched Junmyeon do it to Chanyeol, after all, and between Jongdae and Kyungsoo too --as well as Jongdae doing it to him, too. Baekhyun frowns.

“No reason,” he lies. “Just wondering.”

Chanyeol tells Baekhyun that Jongdae lives in the branches of the Blood Tree, in the house closest to the ground. Baekhyun has no idea how to get so high up, until branches of the tree bend down and whisper for him to step on, slowly lifting him up. Baekhyun doesn’t much care for heights, gripping onto the wood with white knuckles as the Blood Tree lifts him to Jongdae’s doorstep. Stumbling to his feet with the tent bundle in his arms, he knocks. 

“Baekhyun?” Jongdae asks, surprised. “What’re you doing here?” 

He can see Kyungsoo and Jongdeok through the doorway, flat looks of disapproval on their face --great, it seems Jongdae is holding a party with Baekhyun’s biggest fans. 

Jongdae must catch Baekhyun’s nervousness, because he steps forward and slides the wooden door shut behind him, covering it up with a smile. 

“I was helping Chanyeol with your request,” he answers, holding the bundle out. “I’m uh, just here to uh-- give it to you.”

“Well… thanks?” Jongdae’s tail flicks, lingering like he knows Baekhyun has more to say. He hasn’t seen Jongdae since the full moon, and in front of him Baekhyun is flustered, wanting to know everything about all that he’s missed. He hates that Jongdae is always so busy, separated from him like this. He wants to stay by Jongdae’s side. “Are you--”

“I’ll leave,” Baekhyun blurts. “I shouldn’t have bothered you. You seem busy.” 

He turns to leave, but Jongdae grabs his wrist.

“You can never bother me,” he says seriously. “Thank you, Baekhyun.”

The earnest tone of his voice makes Baekhyun warm and uncomfortable, so he quickly slips away and lets the tree take him back down to the ground before his face grows warm enough to be noticeable. Gods what is  _ wrong _ with him? It’s like as soon as he sees or smells Jongdae his brain just empties out and leaves him only with sensations and impulsive urges, a yearning in his gut so deep Baekhyun fears it. 

The peace is awful, drowning Baekhyun in a sense of serenity and calm, but even though he wants so much he knows he can have none of it. His place is not here, with the wildlings, and Jongdae deserves someone better than that. Baekhyun has too many scars, too many shadows, too many secrets. 

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun continues his routine before dawn, the early light just enough to shoot in the dark, firing his arrows so many times their heads break and he has to replace them, sometimes the shaft splintering too.

Such nights of little rest are dragging on him, but he grits his teeth through it, determined to shoot arrows until he can do it with his eye shut, relying on the cues of the wind around him and his nose and the movement of his body to aim.

The shots have started to land more than they haven’t, and even though Baekhyun feels the exhaustion in his head and his arms and his legs, he walks to the arrows, pulling them out of the tree trunk, and tries again, scrubbing at his puffy eyes. He needs sleep, but this is more important. He refuses to go to Kyungsoo until he’s perfect.

“Your posture is wrong, you know.”

Baekhyun jumps as he turns around, Jongdae leaning against a tree with his arms folded, smug smile, tail flicking. 

“What are you doing here?”

“What’re  _ you _ doing here?” Jongdae counters, eyebrows raised.

“Practicing,” Baekhyun answers, shifting self-consciously. “No one ever taught me how to use a bow.”

Jongdae’s eyes follow the line of his body, to the tree trunk embedded with arrows. “But you’ve been landing shots.” His grin grows. “You found a way to work with your eye?”

Baekhyun nods, once, twice. “I… think so. But it’s still hard.”

“Yeah well, some of that might just be because no one is teaching you.” Jongdae steps closer. “For starters, your posture is terrible.” Jongdae hands push Baekhyun’s shoulders up, straightening his spine and raising his chin. “And you need to push.”

Baekhyun tips his head. “What?”

“Draw your bow,” Jongdae says, so Baekhyun obeys, pulling the string back. Jongdae’s fingers nudge under his chin again, making him hold it higher. His chest presses to Baekhyun’s back as his hands smooth over his arms, wrapping over the tops of his fingers to demonstrate. “Your grip shouldn’t be so tight, relax,” he murmurs, breath brushing against Baekhyun’s neck. He isn’t sure how to explain that he  _ can’t _ relax with Jongdae so close, making him shiver even though he’s so warm. “When you fire, you need to push with your bow hand and pull with your draw.” 

He demonstrates in slow motion, pushing Baekhyun’s bow hand far forward and lifting his elbow so that his arm is straighter, hands dropping to his waist to straighten out his back. 

“Get a feel for this posture,” Jongdae tells him. “But don’t overthink your shot. Take too long and you’ll miss or your target will escape. Just fire as soon as you’re ready.”

Baekhyun inhales deeply before doing as he’s told, pushing with his bow hand and releasing the string, watching the arrow land in the tree trunk with a thud. Baekhyun grins. 

“I did it,” he says, turning over his shoulder to grin at Jongdae, who returns it, tail wagging behind him and thumping against Jongdae’s thigh. His face is so close, his hands still around Baekhyun’s waist, and Baekhyun inhales sharply just as Jongdae steps away and takes all the air with him, clearing his throat. 

“Well done,” he praises, filling up Baekhyun’s chest. It feels so good to be praised --especially by Jongdae. He wants more. “Now try again.”

They shoot until the sunrise and even further still, switching targets so that Baekhyun won’t be too used to them and so that he can show how he works out better depth. Jongdae fixes his posture in each shot until Baekhyun can’t think of holding his bow drawn any other way, letting Jongdae murmur over his shoulder about listening to the wind and understanding it, not fighting it.

He still misses --occasionally-- but its progress that can be smoothed out with more practice. Baekhyun doesn’t have Jongdae’s easy aim and skills that he demonstrates by taking Baekhyun’s bow to show off, but that’s to be expected. He’ll learn, over time; Jongdae assures him he’s certainly good enough to hunt as a beginner. 

“Thank you,” Baekhyun says. “For helping.”

“You’re welcome puppy.” Jongdae gives a fang-toothed grin. “I’m just glad I got a chance to, though you could’ve asked for something like this.”

Baekhyun tucks his tail between his legs guiltily. “You always seem… busy.”

Jongdae laughs, self-deprecating. “I guess I am.” He exhales. “Between the full moon and the new one I feel like I never catch a break, so much… planning and talking and  _ doing _ . I just need time to myself to breathe, you know?” 

Baekhyun nods in understanding. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No!” Jongdae is quick to say. “No, no… you can stay it’s-- you were here first and it’s… it’s okay when it’s you. You don’t expect things from me.”

The words make Baekhyun flush but… most things about Jongdae do.

“You don’t… see me as a Prince, you see me as Jongdae.” He laughs, strained. “You have no idea how relieving that is.” 

“Only because I’m a wolf,” Baekhyun points out. “I have no concept of wildling royalty.”

“No, only because you’re  _ Baekhyun _ ,” Jongdae argues, stepping closer and putting a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “And you’re…” he trails off, searching Baekhyun’s face as his hand raises from his shoulder to cup his cheek. Jongdae licks his lips, and Baekhyun’s eyes drop to catch the movement, time suspending itself and freezing Baekhyun still. “...a good puppy.”

The hand touching Baekhyun’s face rises to scratch behind his ear, and Baekhyun’s tail wags before he can even stop it, growling and snapping his teeth at Jongdae’s hand so that he pulls back, laughing. 

Baekhyun’s blood burns.

“I guess duty calls...” Jongdae says with a sigh, swinging his hands. “You coming?”

Baekhyun glances up at the sun, barely finished rising. “I’ll keep practicing.”

“Suit yourself.” Jongdae shrugs, but lingers. “It’s really great, you know, that you’ve worked this hard. I’m proud of the tiefling you’ve become.”

Baekhyun swallows, speechless, and a hunger wells up inside him so deep the forest around him sings to it, a hunger that isn’t about blood or consuming or anything it’s just… Jongdae. It’s  _ always _ Jongdae.

And it’s terrifying, because Baekhyun doesn’t know if he’s strong enough to fight it anymore.

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun is already awake before the village rises to farewell the King for his pilgrimage through habit of waking up before dawn to practice. Junmyeon is surprised, but he doesn’t ask. 

The thought of Jongdae having to leave again saddens Baekhyun, which then angers him, which frustrates him, leaving him to be a pile of mixed and confused emotions at the back of the crowd, trailing Jongdae’s face as he holds his chin up, walking alongside his brother, rather than behind. They look so similar and different all at once, and it makes Baekhyun smile, reminding him of himself and Baekbeom.

Then comes the guilt. 

Baekhyun turns to the sky. He hopes he’s okay, wherever he is --the King can’t be hurting him or he has no collateral against Baekhyun, right?

Right?

Or so he tells himself, but the worry gnaws at his gut. It can’t… it can’t be this hopeless. Baekhyun can’t give in so easily. There must be a way to save Baekbeom  _ and _ the wildlings, Baekhyun just doesn’t know it yet. But he still has time, he can work it out, he won’t give up. 

As Jongdae walks past, he turns to smile at Baekhyun over the crowd. Baekhyun smiles back. 

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun finds Kyungsoo at the edge of the village, holding down a long piece of rope tied to a tree branch that’s pulling it aside as one of the shamans, Sunyoung, sings.

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asks, curiosity overtaking his original purpose. 

“Helping Sunyoung build a new house for one of the villagers,” Kyungsoo answers flatly, not even bothering to waste a glance in Baekhyun’s direction. “What do you want?”

Well at least he’s not calling Baekhyun a wolf and trying to kill him, still, Baekhyun is too distracted to answer, watching the way the tree grows in a swirling manner between the branches some of the hunters are helping pull back as Sunyoung sings to it, the tree singing back. 

“Teach me how to hunt,” Baekhyun says.

“Wow,” Kyungsoo deadpans, tightening his grip on the rope. “Deja vu.”

Baekhyun swallows a growl. “I can shoot now. I’ve been practicing.”

“I’m sure you can,” Kyungsoo replies in a way that implies he doesn’t believe him in the slightest. Baekhyun doesn’t even suppress his growl this time, pulling his bow off his back and knocking an arrow. He draws, a mix of push and pull, feeling Jongdae’s ghost hands correcting his posture, moving his head slightly from side to side before firing, landing it just above the knot where the other end of Kyungsoo’s rope is wound around a tree branch. 

Sunyoung turns to give a dirty look over her shoulder, but doesn’t stop singing.

Kyungsoo looks up.

“Now that arrow is stuck there forever.”

“I’ll climb to get it back.”

Kyungsoo huffs a short, reluctant laugh under his breath.

“Meet me before dawn,” he says. “We’ll try again.”

Baekhyun blinks.

“What? That’s it? No one-hundred trials of death for me to prove myself?” Baekhyun has to say… he’s almost disappointed.

“Attitude,” Kyungsoo scolds, though Baekhyun is unapologetic. He tugs at the rope. “And you’ve already proved yourself. Hunting is no game, wolf or not, and if you want me to teach you, you need to be dedicated.”

Baekhyun scoffs. 

“You lied to me.”

“I tested you,” Kyungsoo corrects. “And you passed. Don’t act so indignant.”

His tiny smirk is infuriating, it angers Baekhyun more than the whole  _ I wish you were dead _ routine. 

“You just didn’t want to teach me how to shoot,” Baekhyun grumbles.

Kyungsoo’s smile only grows. “That too.” 

  
  
  
  
  


Since Baekhyun is used to waking up early, he arrives at the entrance to Hel first. 

“You’re late,” he calls, when he sees Kyungsoo crossing the bridge. Kyungsoo grunts. 

For only one day, Baekhyun learns a  _ lot _ , and he’s beginning to see why Kyungsoo is the head hunter. This time he teaches Baekhyun how to track, how to tell new tracks from old ones, and how to tell which animals leave which, to spot for certain signs. Leads him through the forest to teach him all the territories, lists off all the animals they  _ never _ hunt, not even in winter --like the black wolves and wildcats-- makes him shoot until his fingers have blisters and he never misses. 

It’s brutal and breaking, doing it every day  _ all _ day, going to sleep and murmuring the names of different plants and tracks and animals to himself in order to memorise, head still echoing with the forest’s song. Kyungsoo is blunt and unforgiving, never missing an opportunity to call Baekhyun ‘wolf’ and berate him for careless mistakes, but there’s a gentler, more understanding side beneath all that that splits his dried meat rations and praises Baekhyun in the smallest of ways whenever he does get something right. 

Baekhyun could almost say that Kyungsoo is actually warming up to him, and it makes him feel… proud. He isn’t the useless wolf everyone wants him to be, and it he feels  _ capable  _ \--hopeful, even. If Kyungsoo, the same reason Baekhyun is here to begin with (if he traces it back and gets technical) can learn to accept him, well… maybe the whole village can too. 

When Kyungsoo decides it’s time Baekhyun learn how to poison his arrows, Baekhyun’s tail wags, knowing it’s getting serious, though he dampens his excitement when Kyungsoo looks back. They have to enter the thick fog of wolfsbane to capture one of its ensnaring vines and break its skin, extracting the poisonous sap within. It’s a careful process of using a thin brush then to coat the tips of the arrows with it, something Baekhyun pays very close attention to, ignoring the way the poison and the wolfsbane smoke around him all smells like Jongdae to entice him.

His first kill is an old boar with broken tusks and an injury from a territory battle --they have to chase it through the forest after Baekhyun’s arrow pierces it until they find it heaving on the forest floor. Kyungsoo hands Baekhyun his dagger and talks him through the killing blow, thanking the boar for its offering and even showing him how to give back to the forest once they return to the village. Skinning its hide, collecting its tusks, giving its blood and meat back to the land that birthed it, preserving the rest or roasting it. 

He replaces his old, second hand furs with newer, warmer ones that Chanyeol helps him prepare, washing out the fat and grease and smoking over a fire before stitching together. They can’t actually hunt game everyday, of course, so Baekhyun practices tracking or shooting or helps Kyungsoo with his other tasks around the village, who helps other villagers free of charge simply because he wants to. 

It’s strange, this more protective, kind side to Kyungsoo. It gives Baekhyun a different perspective on the harsh osprey demon he’s used to berating him. It’s almost  _ cute _ , dare he say it, the way Kyungsoo is so nice to everyone. 

The first snow of the season falls a few days before the full moon, bringing with it a crisp, clear scent that Baekhyun inhales deep into his lungs. The cold has always been harsh, but there’s something about snow that softens it, watching the ice melt away to become spring. It’s like covering the earth in a fresh beginning, and it heightens Baekhyun’s mood. 

He’s helping out Junmyeon with deliveries today since Kyungsoo actually let him have a break, running ordered weapons and tools between different houses and having to keep returning to the redwood for directions because he forgets where he’s meant to go. At one stage he ends up at a hut that apparently belongs to Kyungsoo, or so he discovers opening the door.

“What do you need a spear for in the middle of winter?” Baekhyun blurts, handing over the weapon with confusion.

“Hello to you too,” Kyungsoo replies dryly, pulling out a pouch at his belt that’s filled with polished cougar teeth and handing it over. He must’ve left them underground for cycles for them to be so clean. 

“Aw look at you two, not even threatening to kill each other a little bit.” Jongdae sneaks up from behind Kyungsoo, resting his chin on his shoulder. He smiles at Baekhyun, circlet and eyes both gleaming. “Hi.”

“...Hi,” Baekhyun barely manages, caught off-guard at seeing Jongdae after so long in private and not surrounded by wildlings, his tail flicking coyly. Jealousy upheaves itself in his chest at the sight of Jongdae’s casual comfortable touches with Kyungsoo. Baekhyun tries not to scowl. 

“You should come in,” Jongdae says. “We were having tea.”

Kyungsoo scoffs. “Who’s house is this?” 

“I don’t want to bother you,” Baekhyun mutters. His eyes focus on Jongdae's fingers at Kyungsoo's waist. “I should get back to Junmyeon.”

Jongdae pulls his hand back. “I'll walk you there, then. I should also get back to Jongdeok, but I'll take the long way.” He grins, mischievous.

“Shoo, then,” Kyungsoo grips Jongdae by the bicep to push him out. “I have work to do.” The door closes. 

“Love you too~” Jongdae sing-songs to the wood. Baekhyun stares. “Let's go.”

The village is much quieter in the winter, something Baekhyun appreciates --it feels easier to wander between houses when he isn't being glared at. His fingers brush over his collar at the thought, a curl of anxiety rolling in his gut.

“How is Kyungsoo?” Jongdae asks, breaking the silence. Baekhyun pushes his hand down. “Hunting with him and all.”

“Frustrating,” Baekhyun admits with a scowl, making Jongdae smile. “He constantly reminds me I'm not good enough.”

“That's good, right? That he's pushing you.”

Baekhyun grunts in noncommittal agreement. He supposes so. 

“Kyungsoo said you were better than he expected.” Jongdae's fingers nudge Baekhyun's ribs through his furs. “Next thing I know you two will be braiding each other's hair and sharing clothes.”

Baekhyun makes an awful noise in the back of his throat somewhere between a wheeze, a laugh, and a scoff. Jongdae cackles.

“Kyungsoo's hair is too short to braid,” Baekhyun says.

Jongdae laughs louder.

Their walk is in a comfortable silence, Jongdae humming to himself as the snow falls around them. The weather suits Jongdae, as strange as it is for Baekhyun to think, the white snow making his black hair and gold eyes stand out even brighter --the cold only serves to accentuate Jongdae's warmth, as if he's a hearth Baekhyun wants to curl beside indefinitely. 

“You’re staring,” Jongdae teases, and Baekhyun flushes, quickly looking away. “Something on your mind?”

_ You, always _ . “No.” It's like an itch he can't scratch, an incessant, constant urge lingering in the back of his mind, how beautiful Jongdae is. How much Baekhyun wants to devour him. 

“Talkative as usual.” Jongdae laughs under his breath. “Knew you and Kyungsoo would get along.”

Mentions of Kyungsoo are like a knife to Baekhyun's gut, making him feel petty and childish. It  _ bothers _ him, because he knows Kyungsoo and Jongdae are close, but there's just… something about it. It only highlights all the pieces of Jongdae Baekhyun hasn't seen yet --all the pieces he  _ wants  _ to see. Once upon a time, he wanted to understand Jongdae to understand the world around him; now, Baekhyun wants to understand him simply because he's  _ Jongdae _ . 

“We don’t get along,” Baekhyun says, scowling.

Jongdae’s grin grows. “Whatever you say, puppy.”

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun walks in on Junmyeon braiding dyed thread.

“What are you doing?”

Junmyeon almost jumps out of his scales. “Don’t you ever knock.”

“I live here,” Baekhyun replies, amused. “With you. Remember?”

“Yes yes.” Junmyeon waves him off. Baekhyun creeps closer.

“I’ve never seen you with dyed thread before.” He peers over Junmyeon’s shoulder, nosey. “What weapon is that good for?”

“It’s not a weapon,” Junmyeon replies, succinct and matter-of-fact. “But if you see crane feathers while hunting, bring them to me.”

“Crane feathers?” Baekhyun repeats. “What would you need those for?” 

“None of your business.” Junmyeon just continues to braid, unbothered. “Now go do your job.”

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun’s breath fogs in front of his face as he tracks the lynx pawprints through the snow. He's not to kill it --never a predator, never in winter-- just find its hidden den. It must be a mother with three kittens --soon to be grown and leave her-- judging by the size of their tracks. When Baekhyun says as much, Kyungsoo nods. He tries not to preen.

He knows the tracks are fresh since they haven't been snowed over, and stops at a fresh territory marker. Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow.

"I don't want to threaten a mother and her cubs," Baekhyun justifies. "I'm sure they're hiding nearby."

Kyungsoo jerks his chin forward. "Their den is under that ledge, you can see the claw marks." He turns back to Baekhyun. "Well done."

Kyungsoo's praise is so few and far between, Baekhyun can't help his tail wagging, quickly stamping it down by grabbing it with his hand, but Kyungsoo's mouth still has a curve of amusement to it. Damn.

"Let's break before heading back."

Baekhyun starts a fire the way Kyungsoo had taught him as he collects water into their animal skin canteen from a nearby creek, half-frozen. Baekhyun breathes hot air into his palms before holding it out over the fire, muttering thanks under his breath when Kyungsoo hands him wrapped meat and vegetables, one of which Baekhyun devours cold, leaving the others to heat over the fire. 

While Baekhyun wouldn't call his silence with Kyungsoo  _ amicable _ , it's somewhat bearable through a matter of wordless understanding --their relationship doesn't extend past reluctant respect and duty-- but the forest's whispering is incessant, the crackling of the fire doing nothing to drown out the calls for blood. Usually Baekhyun would fill the space mumbling revision or asking more questions, but he struggles to think of anything beyond his burning curiosity towards Jongdae --and by extension, Kyungsoo.

“...Can I ask you something?” Baekhyun cracks, keeping his eyes trained on the fire. 

Kyungsoo snorts. “Since when do you need permission?” 

“This isn’t about hunting.”

He feels rather than sees Kyungsoo scrutinize him across the fire. Eventually, he shrugs in acquiescence. Baekhyun inhales.

“You once asked me what I was to Jongdae,” he says. “Now I want to ask you the same.” 

“And why’s that?” Kyungsoo counters, black eyes piercing straight through Baekhyun. “He’s a Prince and you’re a wolf, you know. It will never work.”

Baekhyun growls before reeling it back, exhaling to calm himself. “You’re avoiding the question.” 

“And you’re using desire to avoid reality.” Kyungsoo tips his head, bird-like. Baekhyun feels a thousand leagues beneath him, watching him in the sky, circling his prey. “You should learn your place.”

“I know you love him,” Baekhyun spits, irritated and petty. “It’s obvious.” 

Kyungsoo winces, but only just. “Of course I love him,” he deadpans, “I’ve known him my whole life. He’s like my brother.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “But that’s not the way you love him.” 

Kyungsoo’s jaw sets, forehead vein popping out. “And what do you know about love?” he snaps. “You’re a wolf. You’ve never felt it, you’ve never experienced it. All you have for Jongdae is a hunger just like everything else in your life. You don’t -- _ can’t _ \-- love him. You just think you do.” 

Anger rises so quickly Baekhyun stands and growls, the wind around him howling to match, ebbing against the flow of his anger. 

“Is this why you hate me?” he shouts. “Because you’re jealous? Because…. Because Jongdae broke your heart?” 

“ _ I _ broke  _ his _ ,” Kyungsoo hisses, stunning Baekhyun into silence. He freezes, caught off-guard, struggling to find any words to say. “The head hunter serves the King. When my mother handed the role to me, Jongdae gave me a choice between him and my duty.” Kyungsoo stands too. “Now you know which one I chose.” 

Baekhyun is speechless.

“Then… why?”

“I made my choice,” Kyungsoo says, face hardened to hide any emotion, but his black eyes are drowning in it, mixed swirls of colour Baekhyun can’t make sense of. “It doesn’t mean I stopped loving him.”

Baekhyun droops, and the sadness of Kyungsoo’s expression wells guilt in his chest. He should never have torn into such old wounds --no matter how old they are, it’s clear they’re still capable of bleeding. 

“Couldn’t you have had both?” Baekhyun asks, voice weak. “Duty and love?” 

Kyungsoo extinguishes the fire, and Baekhyun knows their short conversation is over. “No.” 

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun’s third full moon in Hel sneaks up on him quicker than he expected, surprised at how easily the days blur together now. It all feels familiar, working with Junmyeon, helping Chanyeol or hunting with Kyungsoo --they never apologised to each other, just continued on in silence and that was the end of that-- forming a routine. The wildlings treat him with less apprehension, Baekhyun understands more, and day by day Hel begins to shape itself in something akin to home.

On a countdown, of course, but some part of Baekhyun has given in to drowning himself in it, focusing on the freedom, the relief, the  _ happiness _ Hel gives him. At least before he loses all of it. 

He helps Chanyeol and the other wildlings as always, decorating and setting up and preparing the food --a meat-free feast for the middle of winter. He gets included in Yerim and Sooyoung’s jokes poking fun at Seulgi’s lopsided face paint; it’s nice. He laughs alongside them, even reluctantly allowing all three of them to draw his own face paint, wrinkling his nose at the smell and the feeling.

“How is it?” he asks.

“Just perfect,” Seulgi assures with a grin, dotting the end of Baekhyun’s nose with her thumb to finish. 

Baekhyun assumes he looks ridiculous, but he doesn’t mind. The feeling of paint on his skin and kohl around his eyes is stifling and he wants to wipe it off, constantly pushing his hands down to resist the impulse. 

As the festival starts, Baekhyun gravitates towards the older shaman again, enraptured with the creation myths and stories she tells the children. Stories of a goose wildling who reached the end of the world and nearly fell off, tragic love stories about one lover losing her bonded as she is turned into a bloodhound, corrupted by magic. 

“What’s a bonded?” Baekhyun whispers, leaning towards one of the children beside him.

“It’s when two people are in love,” she whispers back. “Like my moms.”

So… like marriage, then? Ah. Baekhyun blinks. “Thank you,” he replies earnestly. The little crocodile girl grins with all her teeth. 

Hel’s different stories are fascinating, but Baekhyun spots the food being served and slips away to the fire, accepting his portion in a wooden bowl kept at the belt at his hip. He spots Chanyeol sitting with a group, squeezing next to him as the circle widens to accommodate.

“--It’s no one important!” Chanyeol is arguing,  _ loudly _ . 

“Obviously they’re important if you’re courting each other,” Sooyoung huffs, amused, her harrier feathers ruffling. “Just tell  _ ussss _ .”

“No! You’re all insufferable gossips.” Chanyeol clings to Baekhyun, smushing him to his chest and making him grunt out an  _ oof _ . “Only Baekhyunnie really loves me.”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Baekhyun deadpans, peeling himself away.

“Chanyeol has himself a suitor~” Yerim sing-songs, pulling Chanyeol’s hand into the air. “They’re courting each other.” 

Around Chanyeol’s wrist is a braided bracelet made of coloured thread, tied to crane feathers at the end. Feathers Baekhyun had collected.

He narrows his eyes in realisation --Chanyeol’s subsequent look of panic begs for him to stay quiet. Baekhyun smiles. 

“What’s courting?” he asks the group instead, deciding to spare Chanyeol and enjoying the breath of relief he lets out. He knows of courting in the traditional sense, of course, but he’s assuming it’s a little more specific for wildlings.

“It’s when you... pursue someone by making them gifts,” Yerim answers. “And hope they make you some in return.”

“It’s expressing affection and dedication,” Seulgi adds.

“So that you can become bonded, right?” 

“Right,” Chanyeol confirms. Huh. There are so many little intricacies to Hel Baekhyun has yet to learn. “And if you’re really old-fashioned, you can get entwined.” 

“That’s only for the hopeless romantics,” Sooyoung interjects.

“What can I say? A boy can dream.” Chanyeol gives a wistful, lovesick sigh; the group collectively groans. 

Baekhyun wonders what getting entwined is, and how that’s different to bonding, but the moment has passed, so he keeps it to himself. Conversation changes to complaining about the weather and looking forward to spring, Baekhyun listens with half an ear, simply enjoying the amicable atmosphere, the hearth, the food. 

“You know, the singing doesn’t sound as good without your voice.”

Baekhyun tips his head back, seeing a smiling Jongdae looking down at him, tail flicking. 

Baekhyun’s chest inflates immediately, like a hole inside him has been filled. Jongdae looks beautiful tonight, as always, his face painted with his more formal furs on, their rich colour enhancing the gold of his eyes and jewellery. 

“Hi,” Jongdae continues. “Mind if I borrow this puppy?” he asks the group. 

“Of course, Prince,” Seulgi says with a little bow of her head, a smile on her face. Jongdae grins and pulls Baekhyun up.

“Wait I--” Baekhyun stumbles over his feet as Jongdae drags him away. “What are you doing?” 

“Sing with me,” Jongdae commands, pulling Baekhyun towards the instruments. He’s helpless to do anything but obey. 

Baekhyun is well-familiar with the songs of the moon now, joining in to the chorus as Jongdae harmonises over the top, pulling Baekhyun’s hands into his. The ring of dancers move towards them, and they get swept up in it, Baekhyun flustered and trying to stammer a way out of excusing himself but Jongdae is having none of it, showing him the simple, synchronised movements before making something up completely, causing Baekhyun to laugh, despite himself.

Baekhyun hasn’t danced since he was a child, and even though he’s clumsy and keeps stepping on Jongdae’s feet, he’s no worse than Jongdae himself, so he doesn’t feel too bad. They laugh at each other until they’re out of breath, forced to sit on the sidelines to catch it again. 

“You’re in a good mood,” Baekhyun comments, breathless. He’s used to that around Jongdae, though. 

“You’re looking at a Prince with a night off, for once,” he replies, grinning. “Jongdeok and mother are starting to trust me again, since I’ve been working oh-so-diligently and not running off at every opportunity.”

“And so humble while you’re at it,” Baekhyun teases. Jongdae bumps their shoulders together. 

“You’re in a good mood too,” he points out.

“It’s the full moon,” Baekhyun excuses, though it’s so much more than that, inhaling as he looks at the clear sky, having finally ceased its snowy assault as if sensing the full moon needed to be seen. The magic in his blood rises with his breath.  

“Nothing to do with the company?” Jongdae pouts. “And here I thought the full moon was becoming our thing.”

Baekhyun smiles. “That too.” 

Jongdae returns the expression, then stands. “C’mon,” he urges, grabbing Baekhyun’s wrist. “Let’s skip to the fun bit.”

“Your family hasn’t even given their speeches,” Baekhyun says, stumbling to his feet again, always swept away by Jongdae, each and every time.

“That’s exactly the point.” 

As they trek through the snow-covered forest, the festivities seeming leagues away, Jongdae doesn’t let go of Baekhyun even once, consistently keeping him close. It turns Baekhyun warm, his heart skipping beats in his chest like he’s a child and not a fully grown half-blood; it’s stupid, but strangely addicting.

Then, doubt gnaws its way through. He thinks about Baekbeom, and Greykeep, and Kyungsoo’s words. Baekhyun is a wolf; all he’ll ever have is hunger. He’s a murderer, and a traitor, and a heathen, and Jongdae is every single good thing on the earth. He’s a  _ Prince _ . He deserves better than a dog nipping at his heels. 

Baekhyun pulls his hand back. To want Jongdae is to dig a hole he’ll never climb out of, and it’s best not to tempt himself, to tell himself he  _ can’t _ have this, no matter how much he wants it, no matter how much the false security of Hel lulls him into saying he can have it.

The forest sings,  _ just take him _ .

Baekhyun ignores it.

Jongdae’s steps falter as he notices Baekhyun pulling away, turning to him in confusion. 

“We’re nearly there puppy,” he says, teasing, taking Baekhyun’s hand back into his as if it had never left. “Don’t slow down now.”  

Baekhyun wants to, but he can’t, swept up in the storming hurricane that is Jongdae, and struggling to stay grounded. Jongdae smiles at him, warm and sunny, illuminated by the moonlight, and Baekhyun stops trying, allowing himself to be pulled away. 

They reach their grove, and Jongdae lets Baekhyun’s hand slip from his, stepping back while facing Baekhyun and smiling mischievously. He unclips his fur cloak so that it drops to the ground, untying the thread winding his tunic together in slow movements, Baekhyun’s eyes drawn downwards. Jongdae lifts the shirt slowly, tail curling, before dropping his pants and shifting, shaking through the thick black fur. Baekhyun snaps out of his stupor, and demon Jongdae growls a little purry laugh at him. 

Baekhyun flushes and turns away, tearing off his own clothes before shifting. 

Jongdae is sitting by the water, tail sweeping the floor as he stares at Baekhyun’s wolf. Baekhyun stares back, resisting the urge to bow to the regal panther beneath the full moon, circlet gleaming as always. Baekhyun approaches warily, listening to the way Jongdae purrs before rubbing against him, demon forms greeting each other once again. Baekhyun nuzzles in return, tail wagging, until Jongdae eventually brushes back, tail flicking Baekhyun’s nose before he bounds away, looking back at Baekhyun to follow. 

He does. 

He trots to keep up as Jongdae weaves between trees, following the tracks he leaves behind in the snow. Turning behind one trunk reveals he’s missing, until Jongdae pounces on Baekhyun from above, sending him through the leaf litter. 

Baekhyun growls playfully, tail in the air, and their games resume as usual, play fighting and chasing as Baekhyun barks at Jongdae. The powder sprays under their feet as they let their demon sides be free.

They circle the grove and then some, continuing to bite and chase and play. At one stage Jongdae stops by the edge of the water near their clothes to roar, a deep rumble in the back of his throat that’s loud and powerful, his tail flicking. The wind rises to roar with him, responding to his song. Baekhyun tries to imitate out of curiosity, but his wolf isn’t capable of such things, resulting only in a pathetic cough. 

Jongdae purr-laughs at him, rubbing his face against Baekhyun’s neck before nudging him. Baekhyun can’t roar, but he can howl, craning his face to the sky and singing to the moon. The forest grows so loud he can barely hear himself, the wind so strong Jongdae braces himself against it, magic seeping out of the ground itself in response to the sound, joining his song. 

When Baekhyun finishes, he barks, wagging his tail at Jongdae for approval. The forest goes quiet as Jongdae looks at him in disbelief, shifting into human form.

“Do it again,” he says in awe, making Baekhyun’s blood boil. He does so obediently, singing another howl as the magic swirls to greet him, Jongdae pressing himself against Baekhyun’s chest to feel the vibration, inhaling the magic and digging his fingers into his fur. 

“Incredible,” Jongdae breathes out, grinning. Baekhyun’s ears flick in acknowledgement, and his fondness bleeds into his song, the wind softening to brush through Jongdae’s hair and concentrated flecks of magic bumping against his skin as Jongdae laughs in childlike delight, clinging closer to Baekhyun as everything swirls around them, snow and wind and leaves and magic.

Baekhyun stops, and everything slows, sinking gently back to the earth. The magic showers on them now like falling stars, and Jongdae looks up in wonder, his skin illuminated by the warm light. 

“Thank you for singing for me,” Jongdae says, once everything has settled down, scratching between Baekhyun’s ears and making his tail wag as he preens. “The forest loves you so much...” He laughs to himself quietly. “It takes my breath away every time.”

Baekhyun whines in embarrassment, headbutting Jongdae gently, which only makes him laugh.

“It’s true,” Jongdae continues. “You’re amazing, Baekhyun, and even the forest knows it.” 

Baekhyun knocks Jongdae backwards, indignant, and Jongdae only cackles, shifting as his tail straightens in the air to retaliate. They scuffle and tumble and wrestle, until Jongdae uses his tongue to start grooming Baekhyun’s ears and he has to bowl him over onto his fur cloak just to make him stop, pinning Jongdae beneath him and licking all over his face to see how he likes it.

“Okay stop stop stop!!” Jongdae complains, laughing as he shifts back and continues being assaulted by Baekhyun’s tongue on his face, trying to push him off but failing to his demon strength. “Puppy enough!!! I surrender!!!”  

Baekhyun shifts back to pin Jongdae’s hands above his head, grinning down at him as they both pant in exertion in the snow, demon blood unbothered by the cold. “Not so fun when it’s being done to you, huh?” 

Jongdae just laughs, the paint lines around his face all smudged from shifting and Baekhyun’s tongue both. “Guess not,” he breathes out, grinning up at Baekhyun. They stare at each other in the moonlight, Jongdae’s golden eyes searching Baekhyun’s as he takes in Jongdae’s curled black hair spread around him, the shift of his circlet against his skin, the warmth of his smile and just how  _ beautiful  _ he is. Baekhyun can’t stand it, devouring him from the inside out, Jongdae is so close, and his skin is so hot, and it’s like Baekhyun can feel him in his blood, coursing through his veins.

Every doubt, every inhibition, it all washes away in the face of his  _ want. _ Baekhyun pushes down to kiss Jongdae, filled with purpose and intent but the kiss is soft, chaste, a simple, curious press of lips.

Baekhyun pulls back as if burnt by Jongdae’s warmth, sitting back on his heels.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he immediately blurts. “I-- I should leave I--”

Jongdae’s fingers curl around his wrist, and he surges up to kiss Baekhyun, tugging him forward into his mouth. The sensation is so pleasant Baekhyun can’t help but shut his eyes and give in, letting Jongdae’s soft, warm mouth pry apart his own with wet, sticky kisses, filled with hunger and desperation. With Jongdae sitting up now Baekhyun is straddling his lap, one hand held in Jongdae’s as the other grips his shoulder for balance. 

Baekhyun could drown in his mouth, the wind around him rising to his growing hunger, his growing  _ need _ to have all of Jongdae, every piece that he’s given. Jongdae sucks on Baekhyun’s tongue and makes him moan, heat burning through his body so quickly Baekhyun just has to push closer, hand slipping up Jongdae’s shoulder and neck into his hair to pull him closer. The kisses are famished and rough, rushed and hurried, but neither of them care, desperate to taste as much of each other as possible. 

Jongdae pulls back for air and Baekhyun doesn’t let him, chasing his mouth over and over, dragging his nails down the back of his neck and over his shoulder blades, scraping over the tattoos he knows are there. Jongdae moans, or maybe Baekhyun does, unsure of where he ends and Jongdae begins anymore, bodies pressed so closely together Baekhyun can’t ever imagine leaving. Jongdae’s hand cups Baekhyun’s face to pull him closer with a sort of tenderness that makes his stomach churn, the other on his hip drawing circles with his thumb. Even in hungered kisses Jongdae is still so gentle, still so kind.

“So beautiful,” Jongdae says softly, barely louder than a whisper, but Baekhyun still whimpers at it, embarrassed and filled with longing both. His whole body feels like it’s on fire, and desire courses through him with no purpose, only explosive lust. Jongdae’s mouth moves to Baekhyun’s cheek, his jaw, beneath his ear and down his neck, over the collar, and Baekhyun just makes a noise of frustration as his fingers dig into Jongdae’s hair to encourage him, wanting less and more all at once. 

It’s just too much, feeling Jongdae’s hands leave burning trails over Baekhyun’s skin and his mouth scorching kisses, wanting him everywhere and having no idea to start. 

“So perfect,” Jongdae breathes out in awe, his breath ghosting over a wet, purple mark he’d left at Baekhyun’s shoulder and making him shiver, pressing closer towards him. Jongdae looks up at him with reverence. “Can I touch you, Baekhyun?” he asks. “Can I make you feel good?” 

Baekhyun can’t handle the way Jongdae looks at him, so he buries his face in the crook of Jongdae’s neck, inhaling the smell of flowers in the rain. He kisses the skin to taste it, then nods.

“Please,” he replies, breathless, arms tightening around Jongdae’s neck. 

The first touch of Jongdae’s fingers around his cock has Baekhyun gasping, unused to the sensation of somebody else’s hand. Jongdae strokes him slowly with a sort of hesitance, watching Baekhyun for any sign of discomfort. His hand burns.

“More,” Baekhyun pleads, thrusting into the tight ring of Jongdae’s fingers, seeking more friction. Jongdae’s freehand tugs Baekhyun back by his hair to kiss him, hot and messy, pressing their foreheads together before laughing a little, continuing to jerk him off. 

“Fuck,” he pants, hand quickening its pace and making Baekhyun moan. “You’re so sensitive.”

“I--” Baekhyun tries, breath faltering. “--I’ve never…”

“Oh, fuck.” Jongdae kisses him again, panting into Baekhyun’s mouth and making his whole body feel like it’s about burn to ash. The wind surges around them again as Baekhyun whimpers, their demon blood unbothered by the cold in the full moon. Baekhyun is a victim to Jongdae’s hands and mouth, begging to be pulled apart. 

He’s seen Jongdae naked more times than he can count, but he’s never seen him like this, so close and warm to Baekhyun, making his mouth water in hunger.

“Can I…?” Baekhyun trails his hand down, and Jongdae just pulls it closer towards himself, exhaling in relief as Baekhyun palms his cock, just as turned on. 

“Fuck, here--” Jongdae wriggles a little so that Baekhyun is even closer in his lap, bringing their cocks together and wrapping them both with one hand, Baekhyun struggling to contain his sounds at the feeling. It’s addicting to watch Jongdae’s hands move like this, the flex of tattooed skin over tendons in his arm, the feeling of him against Baekhyun, so close, so warm, Baekhyun grinding into his fingers seeking release. He wants to see it so bad, wants to see Jongdae come, fall apart, wants to taste it and feel it and--

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun gasps, rhythm growing frantic as Jongdae’s hand gets faster and faster. Picturing it has only made the heat in his body worse, and he can’t hold back much longer. “Jongdae, I--”

“It’s okay puppy,” Jongdae reassures, though his voice is strained. He presses one kiss against Baekhyun’s mouth, then another. “Come for me.”

How is Baekhyun meant to do anything but obey? Moaning against Jongdae’s neck as he comes over his stomach, stuttering in Jongdae’s hand. He rides out the feeling with relief, mouthing at Jongdae’s shoulder mindlessly. His teeth graze over his skin, causing Jongdae to shiver. It’s addicting, watching him be so responsive, being able to touch him so closely, so intimately. His hand snakes between their body to take over Jongdae’s hand at his own cock, listening to every moan in each octave and feeling the way he shifts against Baekhyun, fucking into his fingers. He wants to make Jongdae feel good, wants him to feel as good as he’d made Baekhyun feel. 

Jongdae comes with a groan, Baekhyun pulling back to watch the way his head tips back in pleasure, the arch of his throat, the come dripping down his abdomen as his own spills over Baekhyun’s fingers and onto his thighs. Hunger boils in Baekhyun’s veins like no other, and his mouth waters, opening his jaw and heading for Jongdae’s neck without thought, seeking his heat, his  _ blood _ \--

Jongdae’s hand pushes him back, making Baekhyun whine in confusion.

“No biting, puppy,” he scolds. “It’s a bit soon for that.”

“What was I…?” Baekhyun looks down at Jongdae, who looks like he’s been mauled by an octopus with claws, covered in purpling bruises and scratches both, the indent of teeth at his neck. “Oh gods.” Baekhyun pales. “Did I hurt you?” 

“Of course not.” Jongdae cups Baekhyun’s cheek. “It’s just instinct. Doing this on the full moon was probably a bad choice, your wolf wants to become bonded.” He chuckles, strained. “Not that I planned for this.”

“I’m so sorry--” Baekhyun tries, confused and shaken by this deep hunger in his blood that longs to be filled. 

“Hey.” Jongdae tilts Baekhyun’s chin back to look at him. “I told you never to apologise to me. It’s alright, Baekhyun. You stopped.” He kisses Baekhyun then, sweet and soft, their noses brushing. Baekhyun melts in his touch like molten bronze, waiting to be given shape. When Jongdae pulls back Baekhyun has to blink his eyes into focus again, dazed, watching Jongdae smile brighter than a thousand burning suns. He noses at the base of Baekhyun’s neck. 

“Besides,” he says, “that was good, right?”

Baekhyun softens, self-indulgently raising his hands up to card through Jongdae’s hair, brushing over his ears. He begins to purr, tail flicking happily. Baekhyun presses a kiss to one soft ear, and then the other, kissing Jongdae’s forehead over his circlet and then pulling his mouth towards Baekhyun’s, trying to say what Baekhyun can’t use words to express. Jongdae has given Baekhyun  _ everything, _ and a deep sadness sinks within him knowing he doesn’t deserve any of it. He never has.

“Stop it,” Jongdae scolds, pulling back and searching Baekhyun’s face, angry. “Stop kissing me like it’s the last time you ever will.”

“Jongdae…”

“Don’t,” Jongdae pleads, taking Baekhyun’s hands into his and squeezing. “Don’t do this.”

“You’re a Prince,” Baekhyun implores, drooping. “I’m a  _ wolf _ . You deserve someone better, someone who won’t drag you down… you deserve a real tiefling.”

“You  _ are _ a real tiefling, Baekhyun,” Jongdae argues, squeezing Baekhyun’s fingers so tightly they’re going numb. If only he knew that Baekhyun can  _ never _ be a tiefling. “And you can’t-- you can’t just always do this.”

Baekhyun growls, sadness lashing out by turning into frustration. “Always do  _ what?” _

“Punish yourself! Run away just because you’re scared of good things hurting you.” Baekhyun turns away, shoulders raised, but Jongdae just keeps staring straight through him. “I know you don’t think you’re worthy of freedom but you’ve owned up to your regrets, Baekhyun, you’ve made amends. You can’t keep imprisoning yourself like this.” 

His fingers loosen, then, intertwining their hands together, palm to palm. They’re the same, Baekhyun thinks, not wildling and wolf, not sun and moon, just Jongdae and Baekhyun. 

“I want you,” Jongdae finishes, voice quiet and low, one hand cupping Baekhyun’s cheek. “I always have, right since the start. And I know you feel the same.” Baekhyun softens, heart aching. “So take me, Baekhyun. Any part of me you want, it’s yours. Let yourself have me.” 

It tears Baekhyun apart, the conflict, the reluctance to damage Jongdae with his blood-stained hands and the deepness of his longing. Jongdae looks so desperate, holding onto Baekhyun like he’s afraid to let him go. Baekhyun may keep himself in a prison, but it’s all he’s ever known, and it’s with good reason. His time here… it’s only temporary, and Baekhyun knows the end will hurt all the more if he lets himself have Jongdae.

But… he’s already given into his impulse and tasted him once, and it doesn’t matter if he’d never kissed Jongdae at all to begin with. Leaving would have always hurt the exact same amount.

So Baekhyun relents, kissing Jongdae with all his chest and stealing his breath. If Jongdae wants to give himself to Baekhyun then he’ll take him, every piece he can get, if only for a little while. Happiness is only fleeting, but Baekhyun is selfish, and although he knows it will only hurt at the end he wants to experience it, just this once. 

“Okay,” Baekhyun says, pouring everything into his kiss to give to Jongdae, feeling him smile in return. “Okay.”

Jongdae is wrong to think Baekhyun is afraid of good things because he thinks they’ll hurt him, he  _ knows _ they’ll hurt him, and freedom is something he’ll never deserve. Still, if Baekhyun’s kisses can make Jongdae smile, then maybe it will be worth it until the inevitable end. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heavy tw for the end of this chapter with self-harm/suicidal imagery in some quite graphic blood magic stuff,,, just uh!! as soon as the dagger is pulled out stop reading ;;;

* * *

 

Jongdae’s mouth is like honey, and Baekhyun is addicted to it. 

He’d never pinned himself as one to enjoy kissing, but he is. The soft slide of lips, the closeness of Jongdae’s body, the scent of his magic in the air around them. While it stirs a certain hunger inside of him, Baekhyun would be content like this forever; his hands at Jongdae’s hips with Jongdae’s back pressed against the trunk of a tree, their mouths meeting over and over and over. 

“Puppy,” Jongdae mutters between kisses. “If we don’t stop soon it’ll be sunrise.”

Baekhyun gives a noncommittal hum. “So?”

“So that was my hint for you to stop.” Jongdae’s fingers at Baekhyun’s mouth have him grunting indignantly, pulling back. He frowns, nuzzling against Jongdae’s neck instead.

“And what if I don’t want to stop?” He lets Jongdae’s scent fill his lungs like emerging from underwater for the first time in years, taking his first breath. He presses one kiss against Jongdae’s neck, then another.

“Then--” Baekhyun tongues at the spot beneath Jongdae’s jaw he’d quickly discovered was a weak point. Jongdae sighs in pleasure. “Then… don’t… stop…?”

Baekhyun grins before parting Jongdae’s legs with his knee and grinding his thigh against Jongdae’s cock through his pants, pulling away from his neck to watch Jongdae’s head tip back in pleasure, moaning, helplessly riding Baekhyun’s thigh. 

Now that Baekhyun has stopped trying to fight his desire, it’s like a never-ending hurricane of want he can’t seem to escape. He and Jongdae sneak away in the middle of the night, constantly forsaking sleep in favour of kissing or talking or just gazing at the stars together, but all Baekhyun thinks about when they’re apart is when he’ll see Jongdae again, when he’ll get to kiss him, when he’ll get to pull him to pieces.

Jongdae makes a muffled sound as Baekhyun presses closer, capturing Jongdae’s mouth with his own and feeling the way Jongdae pants against his lips, his hips moving faster and faster. He comes with a quiet sigh of satisfaction, smiling against Baekhyun’s mouth with his hands around his cheeks, pulling him in for more kisses.

“One day we’re gonna get caught doing that,” Jongdae mumbles, “and it will be  _ so _ awkward.” 

Baekhyun laughs softly, gaze dropping to Jongdae’s mouth, swollen and wet from kisses, tracing over the curves of his lip with his thumb. Now that he’s allowed to touch Jongdae he just can’t stop, wanting to have and taste and feel every piece of him, to draw out a map and see which parts connect, watch the way the paths all lead back to Baekhyun’s heart. 

“We  _ could _ just stop fucking in the forest,” Baekhyun offers. 

“Now where’s the fun in that?” Jongdae grins, and Baekhyun feels it under his fingers, surging back in for another kiss, drinking Jongdae in. Jongdae laughs, making it hard for Baekhyun to kiss him.

“Stop laughing,” he scolds.

Jongdae just laughs harder. “Such an affectionate puppy,” he coos. Baekhyun glares. “I never would have guessed.” 

Baekhyun says nothing, because he’s always struggled with words. He was silenced his whole life in Greykeep, after all, never daring to speak up, and now he relies on actions instead. How is he meant to convey to Jongdae just how much he means to Baekhyun, just how much Baekhyun wants to thank him? He isn’t sure, but judging by the way Jongdae’s smile curves his eyes, knowing and fond, he won’t ever have to.

“Let’s go back,” Jongdae says, and Baekhyun grunts before reluctantly stepping away, letting Jongdae twine their fingers together as they walk back to the village. The secrecy had been some sort of wordless agreement between them, not needing the gossip of it all, especially reaching the King and Queen’s ears --Baekhyun is absolutely fine with that. The less people that will hate him in the end for hurting Jongdae, the better. 

His stomach sinks. He ignores it. 

As they near the redwood, Jongdae says, “By the way, I made you something.”

“Hm?” Baekhyun watches curiously as Jongdae reaches into a pouch at his belt, pulling out a small piece of bone.

“For you,” he says, shifting on his feet and holding it out. 

Baekhyun takes it. It’s been shaped into an earring, whittled down and hollowed out, carved with intricate geometric patterns, a simple ring with a gap to pierce through.

“But I don’t have any piercings,” Baekhyun blurts.

“If you don’t like it I can make it into a bracelet or a necklace,” Jongdae rambles. “But I thought that maybe if you asked Chanyeol he could pierce your ear for you and--” 

“It’s perfect,” Baekhyun says, curling his fingers over it and smiling. “Thank you.” 

Jongdae grins, and Baekhyun has to step forward to kiss him, both in thanks and because he’s Jongdae. It’s that easy of a choice.

  
  
  
  
  


“Are you sure?” Chanyeol asks, examining the earring. “Because y’know, with this, you’re gonna look like a real tiefling.” He grins. 

“I’m sure.” Baekhyun nods as Chanyeol rummages through his kit to find a thick bone needle, holding it out over the fire alongside the earring. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this looks like a courting gift,” he adds casually, turning the needle slowly. A  _ courting _ gift? Baekhyun hadn’t even realised. Baekhyun certainly isn’t a fan of needles and the thought of it going through his ear makes him squirm, but it’s a gift from Jongdae, so he can’t turn it down. “But what do I know, right?” Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun. 

“Exactly.” He smiles. “Nice bracelet, by the way.” 

“Point taken…” Chanyeol mumbles, stepping forward with the heated needle and pinching a part of Baekhyun’s ear between his thumb and index. They twitch, sensitive. “Here good?”

Baekhyun looks up, nodding, and winces as the needle goes through, hearing the crack of cartilage being pierced and resisting the urge to gag, the bone ring being threaded through. Chanyeol steps back.

“There,” he says. “Easy. Not too bad, right?”

“Ow…” Baekhyun rubs at the base of his ear on his head, wincing. Chanyeol laughs. “How does it look?”

“Perfect. It matches your fur. Jongdae will be happy.” Baekhyun’s tail wags at the thought.

“Hey, Chanyeol…” he tries, trailing off. Chanyeol hums to show he’s listening. “If it… if it  _ was _ a courting gift, what am I meant to…?”

“Oh. Well…” He frowns in thought. “If you accept then you should make a gift of your own. Usually these days it’s jewellery or anything that can be flaunted, but hell, my mom gave my dad a dead rabbit once, so really anything goes. It’s just a declaration of interest and dedication, I guess. Until you’re bonded. Then it just becomes normal gifts.” He winks.

“Bonded…” Baekhyun repeats, remembering the full moon in the grove and how Jongdae had called his hunger an instinct. “That… has to do with blood, doesn’t it?”

“Mhmm.” Chanyeol nods. “It’s an exchange of spirit between two people to show commitment, though it can be broken. I’m surprised it doesn’t happen in Greykeep.”

“I don’t think it can, without magic,” Baekhyun admits, fingers fiddling with the new ring in his ear in thought while sensing the hunger stir inside him, so much louder out here than it ever had been in Greykeep. “Thank you, Chanyeol, I’m… new to this.”

“In Hel or in general?” 

“In general,” Baekhyun mutters, pushing his hands down. 

“Don’t let your inexperience get to you,” Chanyeol reassures. “I’m sure whoever may or may not have given you that earring cares for you a lot, and probably doesn’t care so much about tiefling tradition.” 

Baekhyun leaves Chanyeol’s maple with a smile on his face, ear still aching from the piercing but the pain being a pleasant reminder of Jongdae’s gift, in a twisted sense. He can’t stop touching it, even though Chanyeol told him not too because he’ll prevent it from healing, tracing his fingers over the intricate carvings. He could never make anything so beautiful, but… it’s the thought that counts, right? 

Returning to the redwood for work, Junmyeon says to Baekhyun, “Nice earring.”

“Nice ring,” he retorts. Junmyeon’s mouth stays shut after that. Baekhyun smiles; they’re both too easy.

  
  
  
  
  


Jongdae taps on the window shutters long after midnight.

“Hi,” he greets, crouched on the sill as a perfect silhouette in the moonlight, snow whirling around him. “Can I come in? It’s too cold to be out tonight with the snow.”

Baekhyun nods, stepping aside and glancing upstairs. “Just be quiet. Junmyeon is asleep.” 

Jongdae slips in, grinning, and immediately cups Baekhyun’s cheeks to pull him in for a kiss, his hands, lips and nose cold from outside. Baekhyun melts regardless.

“It looks good,” Jongdae whispers, brushing at the hair beside Baekhyun’s ear. “Whoever made that has  _ very _ good taste.”

Baekhyun bites his lip to try and hide his smile --he fails-- curling his fingers through Jongdae’s tunic. “It’s okay,” he lies.

“Only okay, huh?” Jongdae is so close, his grin curved and smug, Baekhyun pulls him just that inch closer to capture his mouth again, sighing in relief into the kiss. It feels like he’s always missing something when Jongdae is far, and it’s  _ this _ he knows he misses every time he’s near again.

Baekhyun pushes Jongdae’s furs off his shoulder so that they pool on the ground, waddling backwards with their lips still connected to Baekhyun’s sleeping mat under the staircase, falling back onto it with giggles they have to keep quiet. In the low light of the fire Baekhyun runs his fingers over every inch of Jongdae’s bare skin with each piece of clothing he takes off, admiring the tattoos and leaving a trail of kisses behind each gliding touch. 

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Jongdae mumbles, nuzzling into Baekhyun’s neck.

“It’s just the new moon,” Baekhyun consoles, amused. “You’ve done it all before.”

“Yeah but now that I can have you I can’t stop thinking about you.” Jongdae kisses down Baekhyun’s chest, making him self-conscious of the King’s brand, crossing his arms over it. Jongdae just peels his hands back, intertwining their fingers, kissing over Baekhyun’s heart where the mark is, completely unbothered, sinking lower to the purple scar above his hip. “I won’t be able to cope.”

“I’ll still be here when you get back,” Baekhyun reassures, a little breathless as Jongdae’s kisses just trail lower and lower until his head is between Baekhyun’s thighs, kissing the inside of those too. 

“Promise?” His gold eyes sparkle; Baekhyun nods.

Being quiet proves nearly impossible with Jongdae’s mouth around his cock, a wet, tight sort of heat that Baekhyun can’t stand, covering his mouth to muffle his noises as Jongdae’s head just bobs up and down, almost smiling, alternating between kisses and licks and suction as if Baekhyun is something to be worshipped. 

His moans prove difficult to silence, so Jongdae reaches up to push his fingers into Baekhyun’s mouth instead, who sucks around them diligently with quiet whines, feeling them scrape over his teeth and tongue. He comes in Jongdae’s mouth with a noise he prays to gods he no longer believes in won’t wake Junmyeon up, and pulls Jongdae up to kiss him when he spots a little bit dripping down his chin, devouring every piece.

  
  
  
  
  


As Baekhyun crosses the bridge into the forest, Kyungsoo’s eyes flick from the mark on his neck above his collar to his earring in quick succession.

“You could at least try to be subtle,” he deadpans, turning and beginning to lead Baekhyun through.

Baekhyun flushes, embarrassed, keeping his eyes trained on the ground in front of him.

“Are you mad?” he dares to ask. Kyungsoo sighs.

“It’s not my place to be,” he says. “But if you hurt him, I’ll kill you.”

And that’s the end of that. 

Today is more tracking lessons, going over plants and places to avoid, as well as Kyungsoo preparing Baekhyun for the change of seasons. Spring brings with it different rules and and an entirely different landscape, and he wants Baekhyun to be ready when it does. The forest whispers to him as always, but between rendezvous with Jongdae, hunting with Kyungsoo and foraging for Junmyeon, Baekhyun has learnt to tune it out. 

They track a few herds of deer to understand the territories they’re occupying closer to spring, Baekhyun carefully picking up a few shed horns from the bucks with branches for antlers, and fangs from the strange musk deer. He still hasn’t decided what to make Jongdae but… he at least has ideas. He just has to be careful not to butcher all his materials.

As they get closer to the village, they check the traps laid around it, Baekhyun shivering when he touches the river’s icy waters to pull out netted fish. He bags them up and shivers, wiping his hands to dry them on his furs, returning to Kyungsoo who is crouching in front of a decimated trap, the woven basket meant to trap a rabbit completely torn apart.

“What’s this?” Baekhyun asks, confused. Even the log used to weigh down the trap has been splintered, tracks snowed over but showing a barely-there path of claws and huge paws with a rabbit being dragged away.

“The work of a bear.” He stands, a worried expression on his face.

“A bear?” Baekhyun looks down at the paw prints, larger than they should be. “What? How is it so big? Shouldn’t it be hibernating?”

“Moon bears aren’t true hibernators,” Kyungsoo answers. “And no creature this deep in the forest is anything like what you’re used to closer to Greykeep. You should know this.” 

Baekhyun swallows, trying to fathom how huge this magic bear must be, stealing their meat to eat the carrion.

“It’s… close to the village, isn’t it?” he asks tentatively.

“Too close,” Kyungsoo confirms, gathering the broken trap.

  
  
  
  
  


The new moon brings with it a new type of longing, and Baekhyun finds himself antsy, counting down the days until Jongdae will return. It’s stupid, to be addicted so early, but he supposes it’s the novelty of their relationship that makes it so exciting, not to mention the time limit. Baekhyun wants to have all of him before he breaks his heart. 

A sobering thought. 

Jongdae’s absence at least gives him extra time to plan out his return courting gift --and actually make it-- though Baekhyun is down to his last antler piece.

“I give up,” he growls in frustration, tossing the useless attempt at a ring onto the ground. The bone had shattered midway, and it’s lopsided and asymmetrical, the carvings jagged and hideous, nothing like the geometric patterns of wildlings. He wouldn’t give it to Kyungsoo as an insult, let alone to Jongdae as a gift. 

“You can’t be that bad at it,” Junmyeon reassures. Baekhyun points at the ring. “Ah.” 

Baekhyun growls again.

“I don’t understand wildling jewellery,” he grumbles.

“Tiefling,” Junmyeon corrects without blinking. “And if you don’t understand it then stop trying to make it.” Baekhyun looks at Junmyeon, frowning. He sighs. “I know you’ve tried your hardest to fit in here, Baekhyun, but some part of you will always be a wolf. Embrace it, rather than turn it away. Use your different experience and perspective as an advantage, not a handicap.

“The point of courting jewellery is to show your dedication, and to give something that reminds him of  _ you _ . A you that is, and always will be, a wolf.” 

It’s the first time Baekhyun’s been told that without it being some sort of insult, and it fills his chest with an odd sort of pride. Maybe… maybe he does have something to offer Hel beyond spilt blood and bad memories. Baekhyun looks at his last piece of antler in contemplation.

“Is that why you took me in?” Baekhyun asks, finally feeling brave enough to. “Because you thought I’d have something new to offer?”

“No,” Junmyeon answers honestly. “I did it because I thought you deserved a second chance. Every tiefling does.”

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun spends what little free time he has carving, stuck in a strange sort of nostalgia as he does so, trying to recall the weight and feeling and shape of the hairpin his grandmother once wore, attempting to recreate it down to every last detail. Its larger size allows for better handling, and Baekhyun even manages to make the small engravings not look horrible. He’s a little bit proud of the gift, and can’t wait to give it Jongdae once he gets back. Wildlings don’t tend to tie up their hair like the people of Greykeep do, but maybe it will be useful to knot the loose curls back at least some of the time. 

When he finally finishes, he takes the hair pin, carved with the familiar symbols of the sun god, and wraps it in woven cloth to keep it protected, tucking it into a pouch at his belt. He’s excited to give it to Jongdae, to see the expression on his face --hopefully some type of happiness-- and to kiss him again, of course. The pilgrims will be returning tomorrow at dawn, and it makes Baekhyun elated, a sort of joy he’s hasn’t experienced…  _ ever.  _

But that’s nothing new. Allowing himself to have Jongdae comes with certain freedoms Baekhyun isn’t used to, a lack of self-punishment that bleeds into all other areas of his day-to-day life. He knows it’s only temporary, but chooses not to dwell on it, drowning in the feeling if only for a little while. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


The last thing Baekhyun expects on his doorstep the night before Jongdae’s return home is Kyungsoo.

The last thing Baekhyun  _ ever _ expects on his doorstep is Kyungsoo.

“What are you doing here?” he blurts, surprised and caught off-guard. Kyungsoo looks as confused as Baekhyun is. 

“I--” he falters, blinking. “The Queen requested to see you.”

Baekhyun pauses.

“The Queen,” he repeats slowly. “The one that… hates me?”

At least Kyungsoo smiles a little, though it looks reluctant. “Her one and only Majesty.” 

Baekhyun can only follow in bewilderment, set on edge. He can’t think of any reason the Queen would want to see him beyond possibly killing him, which is somewhat terrifying. 

The court is empty, all audiences finished before sunset, lit by starnights. The Queen stands in the grand hall staring up at the Blood Tree, looking impossibly small and far too large all at once, her presence filling out every corner, smothering Baekhyun.

“Your majesty.” Kyungsoo claps his hands and lowers his head. “The wolf, as requested.” She extends her hand, and Kyungsoo presses it against his forehead, bowing. 

“Thank you Kyungsoo, you can go.”

Kyungsoo hesitates, giving Baekhyun one last lingering look before nodding and walking away. The Queen steps closer, examining Baekhyun as if dissecting him, pulling him apart. He doesn’t know how to act, can only look into the Queen’s eyes --as golden as Jongdae’s, surrounded by crow’s feet and laugh lines-- keeping his chin up. She’s almost a full head shorter than him, but Baekhyun feels so small, her magic radiating off of her in waves, pushing him down.

He doesn’t let it get to him, though. A tiefling never kneels.

“How long have you been here, wolf?” she asks.

“Nearly four full moons,” Baekhyun answers.

“And?” Her eyes pierce through him. “Do you think you understand everything there is to know about Hel?”

He falters. Is that a trick question? “No,” Baekhyun says. “Of course not. I still have much more to learn…”

“Then do you take me for a fool?” 

He steps back, affronted. “What?” 

“Or are you a fool yourself?” she continues, unbothered. “Running around doing whatever you’d like,  _ defiling _ my son with your blood-stained hands.”

“I--”

“I have to say, it’s impressive, this act you have going on. This injured dog in need of shelter. But I’ll have you know I’m not falling for it.” His heartbeat quickens, fear clawing his stomach. “The forest doesn’t love you, it loves the blood you spill, and my son certainly doesn’t love you either. You’re just something he wants in a petty fit of rebellion.”

Baekhyun’s face falls. “That’s not true,” he argues.

“Isn’t it?” the Queen retorts. “Or do you truly think you’re worthy of him? You? A filthy, blood-stained  _ wolf _ .”

She spits ‘wolf’ with so much venom it lands like acid across Baekhyun’s skin, burning.

“No,” he manages, weak and pathetic. “I know I’m not worthy of him…”

“Then you deluded yourself otherwise out of selfishness?” Baekhyun looks away. “You’re truly  _ that _ foolish? Pretending to love Jongdae when it’s clear you only thirst for his blood like the hundreds of others’ coursing through your veins.” He recoils, hunching into himself. Is that all Baekhyun is? Hunger and greed and selfishness? He looks down at the ground, struggling to believe otherwise, struggling to believe why he ever let himself  _ pretend _ otherwise.

“Let me make this very clear,” the Queen continues, her voice quiet but cold. “You may hunt here, you may live here, you may pretend to make friends and even dare to breathe here” She steps closer, and Baekhyun cowers. “But you will never,  _ ever _ find a home here. And certainly not one near my son.”

The Queen turns cooly then, stepping away from Baekhyun. 

“Speak to him again, and I’ll have your tongue cut off. Touch him again, and it will be your hands. I will  _ not _ let you dirty Jongdae with delusions of your corrupted world and endanger his life. You are a being of darkness and forbidden blood, and you will stay away from him indefinitely. If not, I will throw you back to Greykeep myself, and lock Jongdae up to ensure he does not leave this village for as long as I live.

“You are, and always will be, a  _ wolf _ . Now get out of my sight.”

Baekhyun’s fists clench at his side, completely speechless, storming out before he lets the lioness see any sign of weakness. The village is empty so late at night, and it’s that same emptiness that taunts him --all this space around, and not a single place for Baekhyun to fit.

He feels stupid, and childish, chastised and called out. The Queen’s words had lashed across his skin like a whip, and now Baekhyun is left with the lacerations, bleeding and broken. How could he have ever fooled himself into thinking that he could have Jongdae? That he could find a place amongst the wildlings even for a second? That somehow he, a  _ wolf _ , could prove to them all to put aside their prejudices?

He was a fool.

A deluded, selfish fool that chose having Jongdae over any rational thought. He didn’t only endanger his own life at Hel by pursuing Jongdae, but also his brother’s in Greykeep, and Jongdae  _ himself _ . What was Baekhyun thinking? That he could actually deserve happiness? That he’d get away with it? He is, and always will be, a wolf, and Baekhyun is stupid to believe he could ever change that, that his fate wasn’t predetermined the minute King Minseok sent him here.

He can’t stand for Junmyeon to see his panic, unsure of how to word all the conflict in his heart. Instead Baekhyun heads into the forest, shivering in the snow as the wind senses his anguish and welcomes him back, welcomes him home. Baekhyun doesn’t know what to do, his body still shaking, he just… just needs to clear his head. Needs to work out how to live near Jongdae without endangering him, how to live with wildlings knowing he’ll betray them all in the end, how to get back to Greykeep without risking Baekbeom’s life. 

Baekhyun leans against a tree trunk, body shaking, breaths coming in short. He hates  _ everything _ , himself, his mistakes, all that lead him here and everything before that too. He hates that he’s a wolf, hates the stolen magic inside him, hates the way the forest sings to him, hates that he has no home. Hates that his own stupidity and selfishness has hurt everyone around him. Hates that he never learns from his own mistakes. 

It’s frustrating and exhausting and he’s just so tired. Baekhyun sinks until he’s crouching, letting out a dry sob of pent up desperation. He feels weak and useless and doesn’t know what to do. Shunned from Greykeep and sent spiralling into a world of freedom he’ll never be allowed to keep, a world that wouldn’t want him even if he  _ wasn’t  _ a traitor.

Nobody wants Baekhyun, not even Baekhyun himself.

_ We want you _ , the forest whispers, loud enough to cut through Baekhyun’s thoughts. He blinks away the unshed tears, noticing the roots crawling from the ground to curl at his feet.  _ Your home is here. With us _ .

He inhales shakily, reaching down and watching the way a nearby root caresses against his finger before looping around it, tugging it down.

_ Give yourself to us _ , it sings.  _ We can relieve you of your pain _ .

Baekhyun swallows, looking down at the thirsty roots, calling out for blood. Can the forest take it away, he wonders? All that he is until there’s nothing left, no wolf, no magic, just Baekhyun. No pain, no sadness, just… hunger.

He reaches for his dagger, contemplating, but his mind is already made up. He drives the dagger into his forearm, crying out before dragging it upwards, slashing through the skin on his arm and repeating the process on the other, grunting through the sensation as his blood drops onto the snow below, gushing and pouring, sinking deep into the earth. 

“Take it,” he tells the forest, feeling himself go lightheaded “Take all of it. The magic, the blood just-- get it out of me. I don’t want it.” He wants it  _ gone _ , every drop he’s ever stolen, every trace of his past mistakes. He’s tired of being a ravenous wolf --he’d rather be nothing at all. No pain, no duty, no burden. 

Baekhyun can feel his body weakening as the roots curling around him dig into the wound, absorbing the blood. His vision spots and blurs, and he collapses into the snow, exhaling in relief with one last gentle sigh before closing his eyes. 


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

 

Where Baekhyun is, he doesn’t know.

He can’t remember how he got here, he can’t remember _why_. All he knows for certain is what he sees, only in brief glimpses:

A ring of hooded figures, a child on a stump between them, crying.

The child, older, holding a smaller girl’s hand, walking amongst the forest together, laughing.

The child --now an adult-- in the forest, angered. The trees shy away from his fury.

A tree knocked over; a thousand cries of pain. 

But it’s hard to decipher, hard to make sense of the images, because there are other ones laid on top, like all of time is happening consecutively. A man chopping down trees, a pack of wolves running through the forest, unshackled, a baby in an old woman’s arms, silent. They’re all flashes, brief images, sensations of feelings, seen with eyes that aren’t quite eyes, and they run through Baekhyun like he’s made of water, pushing through his body and emerging on the other side, leaving him only with ripples. They _hurt_ him as they do so, overwhelming.

He wakes up with a sharp inhale, deep in pain. The light hurts his eyes --and everything else with them. His body thrums with a constant pulse of pain, his arms in particular burning, and Baekhyun doesn’t know where he is. 

He sits up, sleepskins falling off his body as he looks down at his chest, feeling like it's impaled with a thousand daggers but… there’s not even a scratch. Just an old fading purple scar, the King's brand and smooth skin.

It’s his arms that are covered in gauze, wrapped from elbow to wrist. Baekhyun remembers… the forest, and his blood but --what came after that? Nothingness and barely-there sensations… He looks around. He doesn’t recognise the treehouse he’s in, wide and covered in charms and other decorations, other empty beds beside him. An infirmary of some kind?

“You’re awake,” a voice says, surprised. “We weren’t sure if you ever would be.” Baekhyun turns to the doorway, where Sunyoung stands, smiling in relief, her fawn ears flicking. “You lost a lot of blood,” she continues. “We didn’t know if you’d make it. How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” Baekhyun answers, voice croaky and disused. Sunyoung gives a sympathetic smile. 

“You… gave a lot of yourself to the forest, Baekhyun. I’m not sure if you’ll ever get any of it back.”

He looks down at his bandaged arms again, slowly flexing his fingers. Is this what it feels to be like without all the power he’d stolen, sluggish and slow? His magic is almost completely gone now, and Baekhyun can feel it, a pathetic spark in the centre of his chest like a candle being buffeted by the wind, so close to extinguishing. He’d visited the brink of death itself, and regret sinks through him. 

“The forest tempted me,” he says, “I was panicked and gave in, I should have never…” 

Sunyoung hums. “It’s a curse for all it sings to. Those of us in Hel who hear it are taught how to resist it, but a wolf… Well, I never expected….” She frowns in thought. “Your stolen magic is lost, Baekhyun, but I fear you paid a price too great for it. Meddling in such blood magics is forbidden for a reason.”

“I didn’t--” his voice cuts off, broken. Baekhyun shirks into himself. “I didn’t know.”

“I know.” Sunyoung softens, pitying. “But I’m not sure how much leeway ignorance can buy you, when as a wolf you’re already on thin ice…” She sighs. “Don’t worry about it now. Just focus on resting. I’ll send word for the Prince, he’ll be glad to see you.”

“Jongdae returned?” Baekhyun blinks. “How many days was I out?” 

“Almost a full week.” Baekhyun’s jaw drops. “The Prince refused to leave your side until the King had to drag him out himself.”

The thought makes Baekhyun prickle with guilt --Jongdae isn’t allowed to be near him, doesn’t he _know_ that? He opens his mouth to tell Sunyoung the same thing but it falls flat on his tongue and she leaves before he can get it out. 

He’s still too selfish. 

He wants to see Jongdae so badly it hurts, an ache inside him that seeks his touch and his comfort when Baekhyun is so weak and helpless, hungering for any sort of familiarity. It makes him think of the rice porridge and strange teas Baekbeom would make anytime Baekhyun was sick in Greykeep, and his heart hurts.

As soon as Jongdae storms in, Baekhyun’s chest inflates with relief.

“What the fuck were you _thinking_ ?” Jongdae yells, startling him. “I told you _never_ to give your blood to the forest, _ever_ , I turn my back for three seconds and you do _that!?!?!?_ ” Baekhyun leans back, shoulders hunching. “You could have turned into a bloodhound, Baekhyun!!! You could’ve _died_ . Did you even realise that?? If Junmyeon hadn’t found you when he did I don’t _know_ what could’ve happened I--” his voice cracks, his eyes watery. Baekhyun is taken aback by his anger. “--You’re not allowed to leave me,” Jongdae says, voice dropping, shoulders shaking. He takes Baekhyun’s hand into his, squeezing. 

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun manages pathetically, and Jongdae cups his face to kiss him, Baekhyun sighing with relief before remembering where he is. He opens his eyes, spotting Sunyoung in the corner of the room smiling in amusement, pushing Jongdae away gently who follows his gaze over his own shoulder, sheepish.

“I’ll let you have your privacy,” she says, grinning and stepping out. Jongdae kneels on the edge of the sleeping mat. 

“Why did you do it, Baekhyun?” Jongdae searches his face as Baekhyun leans into the touch on his cheek, feeling at peace. 

“I…” Baekhyun doesn’t even know where to start. “I thought maybe if I gave my magic to the forest, I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t have to be _this_ anymore.” He scrunches his face in frustration. “This… stupid blood-thieving wolf.” Jongdae’s eyes soften with sadness. “I thought it would be an easy way to relieve myself of my sins but I was wrong. I’m _always_ wrong. I’ve only added more mistakes to the pile.”

“Baekhyun, no.” Jongdae tilts Baekhyun’s chin up so he’s forced to look at him. “You make up for your mistakes with every day that you’re here, trying harder to understand, to _help_. You never needed the forest to take you to change that.

“Being a wolf… it’s not a curse, Baekhyun. And I hate that you think it is just because of the prejudice around you.”

Baekhyun wriggles in guilt. “Jongdae, there’s something else,” he starts. “Your mother… she knows about us. She forbid me from seeing you again, said she’d punish both of us for it.”

The cold fury that washes over Jongdae’s face is unlike any expression Baekhyun has ever seen on him, rigid and icey. It’s shocking, and it leaks into the air around him, the bitter scent of anger mixed with his now-burning magic.

“She had _no_ right to interfere,” Jongdae hisses. “She gave you freedom here, she can't just pretend otherwise when it suits her.”

“Jongdae, she’s your mother--”

“And as my mother she should respect my right to make my own choices.” He growls, tail swaying rapidly in anger. “I don’t care what she said or what she told you, Baekhyun. Whatever petty threats she made --they’re worthless. I like _you_ , and I’m not letting her get in the way of that no matter what.”

It’s so simple when Jongdae says it, Baekhyun can hardly believe he’d ever reacted the way he did to begin with, how calming Jongdae’s presence is, how reassured he feels. It only proves how powerful the forest can be. Baekhyun sniffles, once, smiling to himself as he holds back tears before redirecting it at Jongdae.

“Okay,” he relents, and lets Jongdae kiss him again, soft and slow and sweet. Baekhyun’s fingers curl into Jongdae’s furs, afraid to let go. 

Jongdae stays with him for the rest of the day, ignoring Baekhyun’s complaints that he should return to duty, dead set on remaining by his side instead even as Sunyoung checks his wounds to clean and rebandage them. Sinew has been used to stitch his skin together to help the deep gashes clean, crusted in blood and pus that Sunyoung wipes away. 

Baekhyun is too weak to stay awake for very long, alternating between sleeping with Jongdae’s hands through his hair and waking to drink and eat. The next day Junmyeon and Chanyeol come to visit, asking how Baekhyun is feeling, when he’ll be strong enough to leave Sunyoung’s careful eye. They tiptoe around the reason he’s in there to begin with, and Baekhyun is thankful for it. 

Seulgi, Yerim and Sooyoung visit, as does Joohyun, and even some of the other shamans and villagers that Baekhyun has delivered weapons to or helped out every now and again, each one bringing strange foods as gifts --meant to help him heal-- and good luck charms for the spirits’ blessings. Baekhyun is overwhelmed by it all, the sheer amount of people that actually come to make sure he’s alright, even though what he’d done was forbidden to begin with --it brings tears to his eyes that he has to keep brushing away, though Jongdae’s hand on the small of his back rubbing soothing circles tells him he saw. 

“I don’t understand,” Baekhyun whispers one night. “Why is everyone being so nice to me?”

“It’s tradition in Hel to give gifts to healing villagers and to wish them well, especially if you care about their recovery”, Jongdae tells him, letting Baekhyun lean his head on his shoulder. “You underestimate yourself.”

Even Kyungsoo of all people come to visit, on one of the last days Baekhyun needs to be kept under Sunyoung’s constant watch, bringing tea leaves to heat over the fire and some stew. Baekhyun looks at it as if it’s poisoned. 

“Kyungsoo is a great cook,” Jongdae reassures, laughing. “I’m sure it tastes amazing.”

He tries it with a small bite, and his tail wags instantly, beginning to devour the rest. Kyungsoo smiles at the sight. 

“You ate all the food I prepared for hunting, I don’t know why you’re so surprised.” He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest, indignant. Baekhyun had never even thought that Kyungsoo made the food himself, because the idea of the sharp, rough-edged osprey in the kitchen is just… hilarious. 

But he’s smart enough to not say that aloud. 

“It’s delicious, thank you,” Baekhyun adds between mouthfuls, watching Kyungsoo huff again, though there’s a flattered smile on his face he’s attempting to hide. 

“Unfortunately I didn’t come just to see you,” he starts as Baekhyun is finishing his meal, Jongdae straightening up beside him. “You committed a crime, Baekhyun. You have to go on trial.” Jongdae’s hand finds his and squeezes reassuringly, and Kyungsoo’s eyes drop to the movement before blinking back up, expression impassive.

“On trial?” Baekhyun repeats weakly, withering.

“It’s okay.” Jongdae’s thumb traces circles over his knuckles. “You were tempted by the forest and didn’t know it was a crime, everyone knows you meant no harm.”

Baekhyun exhales a shaky breath. “Punishment…”

“Won’t be anything bad, I promise,” Jongdae interjects. “You weren’t taught to deal with magic and temptation the same way we are. You can’t be punished for that when it’s my fault for not making sure you knew better.”

Baekhyun falters. “How could it be _your_ fault?”

“I knew how strong you were,” Jongdae answers. “I knew how loud the forest sang to you, except I thought you’d be okay because you’d walked through it before, and you’re _my_ duty, _my_ debt, I--”

“Jongdae, stop.” Baekhyun cuts him off. “ _I’m_ the one that gave into temptation, _I_ will deal with the consequences,” Baekhyun says firmly, squeezing Jongdae’s hand back. Even with all his magic gone and his body weaker, Baekhyun feels… stronger, somehow, more certain. With the reassurance of Jongdae and everyone in the village, he knows he isn’t alone anymore, and it’s more freeing than having shackles removed. 

Kyungsoo leaves the room silently without a word, unnoticed. 

  
  
  
  


Sunyoung says Baekhyun will be good to leave a few days before the full moon, brought shakily to his feet by Jongdae and redressing in the clothes Chanyeol had washed the blood out of by the river. 

“I took most of the food and tools out of your belt to wash the pouches,” he explains. “But… well, some of it was damaged when you fell.” 

“Like what?” Baekhyun is confused by the guilt on Chanyeol’s face. He winces as he pulls a piece of cloth out of his pocket, making Baekhyun droop in realisation. Oh…

“What’s that?” Jongdae asks as Baekhyun unwraps the cloth, revealing the bone hair pin, cracked neatly in half. He must’ve fallen directly onto it, he should have never been carrying around something so delicate to begin with, but it had been too important to him to leave behind.

“It was meant to be a gift for you,” Baekhyun admits, sheepish as he holds it out to Jongdae. “But now it’s broken.” 

“Oh, Baekhyun, it’s beautiful…” Jongdae takes it into his hands gingerly, admiring the carvings in the bone. “...What is it?”

“A hairpin, like in Greykeep, I thought…” He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. I can make you another--”

“No,” Jongdae says firmly, curling his fingers around it. “This can be fixed. I love it.” 

Jongdae accepting his broken courting gift makes Baekhyun’s heart flutter; Chanyeol clears his throat.

“Junmyeon? Waiting? Dinner? Any of this sound familiar?” 

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “Yes yes we’re coming.”

Baekhyun is reluctant to have Jongdae and Chanyeol both shoulder some of his weight as he walks, but he needs it, shivering in the cold and barely having enough strength to hobble down the village walk to Junmyeon’s redwood. At least once inside he’s warmer, but he’s ready to pass out and go to sleep, barely managing enough energy to stomach dinner. Jongdae helps him hobble to bed making no comment on how humiliating it is to be chaperoned everywhere, and even after that he just… stays, kneeling on the sleeping mat beside Baekhyun.

“You should go home,” Baekhyun tells him. “Your family must miss you.”

“You need me more,” he says simply. “Now sleep. You need rest.”

Jongdae’s hands carding the hair between his ears is good incentive for Baekhyun to listen, falling asleep quickly and dreaming of snapshots in time he can’t decipher.

  
  
  
  


Once Baekhyun is well enough to stay awake through most of the day, he discovers a different sort of ailment.

_Boredom._

It’s poisonous and toxic and he’s not sure if he’ll ever heal from it.

“ _Junmyeon_ ,” Baekhyun insists for the umpteenth time.

“ _No_ ,” Junmyeon retorts, just as firmly. “Sunyoung says you’re not to go outside for long periods of time and certainly not to do anything that can cause strain on your body.”

“But it’s the full moon!” Baekhyun complains, feeling like a petulant child and completely unable to stop himself. He’s spent _weeks_ inside, and it’s driving him crazy. “I want to help!”

“No helping!” Junmyeon scolds. “Now sit down and rest like you’re meant to.”

Baekhyun sneers when Junmyeon’s back is turned, and huffs, slumping into his sleep skins. He has a thousand and one fur covers and pillows and all he wants to do is be anywhere else but in bed. He misses fresh air, and the wind, and the sun, and Jongdae, who had eventually gotten back to his duties as a Prince, but not without checking in morning and night on Baekhyun’s recovery. He’s the most interesting thing that happens to Baekhyun each day, and it feels like proof that Baekhyun may or may not be going insane. The other day he’d wondered how mad Junmyeon would be if Baekhyun started painting pictures on the wall, which is how he knows he’s losing it. 

As the sun sets and the moon comes into view, Baekhyun can hear its song, louder than ever, calling him into the forest. It’s jarring, how deafening it is, hurting his ears --he can barely tune it out. It’s so loud he can’t understand it, either, though it calls to him, singing to the demon in his blood, the blood it now owns, calling to his hunger.

“Something wrong?” Jongdae asks, dashing to Baekhyun’s side immediately, dressed in his formal furs, face painted. With Jongdae around, the sound fades, drowning out.

“It’s nothing,” Baekhyun lies. “Just a headache. What’re you doing here?”

“The full moon is our thing, isn’t it?” Jongdae grins. “I know Junmyeon wouldn’t let you help out, but I thought I could convince him to at least let you come celebrate. No dancing or singing but food and drink and a little socialising with some fresh air won’t kill you.”

Baekhyun grips onto Jongdae tightly, and with as much seriousness as he can muster, says, “You’re my saviour.”

Jongdae laughs.

He’s strong enough to walk without Jongdae holding his weight, but Baekhyun lets him tuck his arm around his waist anyway, suspecting Jongdae likes to feel useful --and appreciating the added warmth. 

For the most part Baekhyun is forced to sit by the fire while others around him bring him food and drink, bombarding him with questions about his health. It’s strange and overwhelming to be such a centre of attention when usually he’s pushed to the outskirts, but Baekhyun supposes pity is funny like that. 

A large majority of the villagers still glare at Baekhyun, which is almost a relief, but that’s probably more because of Jongdae than Baekhyun himself, who is glued to Baekhyun’s side. His worry is as endearing as it is exasperating, but Baekhyun knows Jongdae blames himself for Baekhyun’s mistakes.

Which is stupid, because they’re _Baekhyun’s_ , but arguing with him otherwise is fruitless. It’s best just to let Jongdae hover and baby him and… well, Baekhyun secretly enjoys the attention anyway. 

The Queen’s glares are easier to ignore when Jongdae smiles like he’s the sun, blinding Baekhyun from anything else.

As the speeches are given and the true festival begins, Baekhyun stands.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Jongdae pulls him back down, making Baekhyun land in his lap and then turn warm at the proximity, so close in public, Jongdae’s arms looped around his waist. “You’re not allowed to shift, you’ll open your wounds.”

“But it’s the full moon.”

“Yes it is. I’m glad you’ve noticed.”

“It’s the full moon,” Baekhyun repeats, firmer. “I’ve never… _not_ shifted on a full moon.”

“Well there’s a first time for everything,” Jongdae teases, smiling as his tail flicks. Baekhyun is horrified. “Stop looking so surprised. Do you really think you should be in the forest when you just gave it so much blood?”

It’s a sobering thought, reminding Baekhyun of the pounding song calling to him even through Hel’s usually tranquil quiet. He swallows, nodding in reluctant agreement as he pulls himself out of Jongdae’s lap. 

“It’s okay though,” he says, beginning to peel off his furs. The fire is already deserted save for the older wildlings chatting on the other side, and the parents trying to wrangle their children to sleep. “I’ll stay with you. You can tell me about Greykeep.”

Baekhyun arches an eyebrow. “And who says I want to?”

“Me.” Jongdae pouts. “You wouldn’t say no to me, would you?” 

He flutters his eyelashes, laughing when Baekhyun rolls his eyes, shifting and turning into his demon form to flop in Baekhyun’s lap, keeping him warm. He’s heavy and oversized and it makes Baekhyun laugh as he falls onto his elbows, Jongdae nuzzling against his face and licking with his barbed tongue. 

“Dumb kitty,” Baekhyun mumbles as he rubs Jongdae’s squishy face, listening to his deep purrs. He sits back up again, and digs his hands into Jongdae’s fur, letting him wriggle around until he’s more comfortable. The Queen is watching them from the other side of the fire, furious, Baekhyun just holds eye contact until she looks away.

  
  
  
  


While the full moon and Jongdae had helped to soothe Baekhyun’s stir-craziness, it also heralds the approach of his trial. He’s innocent until proven guilty under wildling law, giving him complete freedom until the trial date, but he’s too busy healing to fully enjoy what he suspects may be his last few days in Hel.

Jongdae tells him he’s overreacting. Baekhyun isn’t so sure.

Thanks to half-demon healing --slowed down by the magic of his wound-- Baekhyun’s bandages are off and his stitches are gone, leaving two red and tender remains of his gashes down both arms, sore to touch. His magic is still weak, though it burns brighter no thanks to rest and eating food of the forest, but Baekhyun knows he’ll never be the same kind of strong again. He can hear the forest singing to him constantly, an incessant melody that never drowns out, and it’s near-impossible to resist. He tries to make it shut up, but it never does; Baekhyun no longer controls the forest, the forest controls _him,_ and that’s the debt he must shoulder for succumbing to temptation. 

He worries about when he’ll have to pay it.

“Nervous?” Jongdae asks him as he stands outside the redwood to collect Baekhyun, leading him to the Blood Tree court. 

“Who wouldn’t be?” Baekhyun counters, and Jongdae hums in sympathetic agreement, intertwining his fingers with Baekhyun’s. He’s almost too numb to feel anything, though, his body too weak to care, his mind too focused on healing. 

“You’ll do fine.” He leans forward to kiss Baekhyun, long and slow and toe-curling. He feels like a little dazed as Jongdae pulls back, fluttering his eyes open. “You have lots of people vouching for you. You won’t be punished.”

Baekhyun wants to believe him, and when Jongdae gives him a dazzling smile, he realises he does.

It’s a strange system, lead by the royals but governed by the public, though Baekhyun suspects the first time he’d arrived at Hel had been a sort of trial in and of itself. Such suspicions are confirmed when he’s brought to stand in the middle of the court, surrounded by almost every wildling in the village, seeking to know his fate. Jongdae squeezes his shoulder, once, before moving to stand with Junmyeon and the others that will vouch for Baekhyun’s place. The King and Queen are in front of him --the King impassive, the Queen glaring with icy daggers.

“We’re here today to stand trial of the wolf, who used forbidden magic six nights after the new moon,” the King announces. “His punishment will be decided in front of the people under tiefling law. Wolf, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Baekhyun swallows, bringing to mind all the things Junmyeon, Chanyeol and Jongdae had been coaching him about.

“I was tempted by the forest,” he says, trying to hold his chin up. “I’ve always heard its song, and in a moment of weakness, I gave in. I was unaware that what I was committing was a crime.”

“And that makes it better?” the Queen asks, rhetoric. “By giving yourself to the forest you nearly became a servant of its will, corrupted by its hunger and power. That puts everyone in the village at risk. Temptation is not reason enough for ignoring the consequences of your actions.” 

Baekhyun swallows, hearing the ringing of the forest’s song even in here, pretending like he isn’t already its servant. 

He hangs his head. “I only did it in hopes to protect the village,” he admits. “By giving stolen magic back to the forest, I thought--”

“Liar,” the Queen accuses, stepping forward in a burning fury. “You’re a selfish wolf who sought the temptations of the forest for _more_ power.”

“Mother,” Jongdae warns from the audience.

“That’s not true!” Baekhyun argues, desperate. “I would never--”

“You’ve never cared about Hel or anyone inside it, all you want is to sate your hunger--”

“ _Enough_ ,” the King interjects, making the Queen snap towards him, offended. “You are letting bias bleed into the proceedings of this court, and making baseless assumptions, mother. It is not becoming.”

Her jaw clenches, and she looks humiliated and angered both. “He is a wolf,” she hisses. “What other assumptions am I to make? He committed a dangerous crime.”

“A crime he would never have resorted to if you hadn’t threatened him in the first place,” Jongdae shouts, stepping forward. The audience whispers. 

The King turns to the Queen, expectant.

She’s turned pale. “I was only trying to protect you,” she reasons with Jongdae, softening. It’s piteous, making Baekhyun writhe with guilt. She only wants Jongdae to be safe, something they have in common.

“And you had no right,” Jongdae growls. “Baekhyun was given a place here, his name, he has proven his worth over and over. He came here seeking _refuge_ , and you threatened to have him exiled.”

“Is this true?” Jongdeok asks, appalled.

The Queen falters.  

“Yes,” Baekhyun answers. “It’s true.”

“I’m disappointed,” Jongdeok says, icy.  The Queen turns her face, pride bruised. Jongdeok inhales slowly. “What do those of you who vouch for him have to say?”

The group --Junmyeon, Chanyeol, Sunyoung, and some of the other hunters-- exchange glances before Sunyoung steps forward.

“The ritual was never completed,” she states first. “And due to his upbringing, I believe it is fair to say Baekhyun was completely unaware of what he was doing, and at the mercy of the forest. That fault falls to us, in Hel, for ostracizing and shunning him, rather than educate him of our ways. While some have risen to help--” she gestures to the crowd behind her. “--the blame is on us as the people.”

“Baekhyun has been here for many cycles and has yet to prove a threat,” Junmyeon adds. “He has only ever helped the village and sought to earn his place. Yet we put him on trial as a citizen of Hel, when none of us had ever made an effort to include him as one to begin with.”

Baekhyun’s chest fills with something he can’t name, and Jongdae seems to relax in relief, smiling at their defense. 

“Your defense is sound,” Jongdeok amends, the Queen still standing with her lips pursed, silent. “What do you have to say, brother? He is your charge.”

Jongdae straightens up. “I believe with proper education and training, Baekhyun can amend for his mistakes. The forest took away his power and left him as a blank slate. Maybe we should take advantage of that, rather than punish him.” 

Apprehension curls in Baekhyun’s gut, until the King, slowly, nods. 

“And you, wolf?”

“I…” Baekhyun trails off, swallowing. “I know the mistakes I have made, the price I have cost this village. I only wish to serve the people and repay the debts of kindness I owe. I mean no harm, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that.” 

He hates how easy lying comes to him.

There’s a long stretch of the silence as the King considers his words before relenting.

“Very well,” he says. “I propose that the wolf be punished for his crimes by paying a tax to the village keep--” Baekhyun blinks. That’s _it?_ All he has to do is give the spoils of his hunting to the village? “--and by obtaining proper education and training of his magic with the shamans. As a wolf, it is unfair to trial him as a citizen of Hel, so from this day forth, his collar will be removed, and he will be treated as any other tiefling would, no exceptions or leeway. Any objections?” The courtroom is silent. The King bangs his staff. “Then it is done, Baekhyun.”

The court is filled with talking as Baekhyun stands in the centre of it all, jaw agape. Did he-- did he just--

Jongdae engulfs him in a huge hug, grinning. “I told you nothing bad would happen. I wouldn’t let it.”

Baekhyun laughs as an exhilarating rush washes over him, relief causing him to squeeze Jongdae back.

“Truly my hero,” he teases. “My big strong kitty.”

Jongdae pulls back and huffs, making Baekhyun smile wider. “You proved yourself all on your own.” He takes Baekhyun’s hands in his. Baekhyun’s eyes drop to Jongdae’s lips on reflex, and they pull away at the same time. The King clears his throat, now standing behind them.

“Jongdae,” he says, lips curved.

“Jongdeok…” Jongdae claps his hands together, bowing his head. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t do it for you, that was a fair trial.” Jongdae straightens up, tail flicking anxiously. “Can I speak to Baekhyun alone for one moment?”

Jongdae opens his mouth, giving Baekhyun a lingering look, who nods in reassurance. Jongdae closes his mouth and slips away; they watch him go. 

When Baekhyun turns back to the King, he becomes aware that this is the first time he’s ever been in close proximity to him, _alone_ . He’s taller than Baekhyun, and his ornamental crown adds to that height, but he looks so much like Jongdae and so _not_ it’s a little dizzying.

“Do you have siblings, Baekhyun?” Jongdeok asks, surprising Baekhyun.

“...Yes,” he answers. “My brother…” Something lodges itself in Baekhyun’s throat, thick and sharp until it sinks down into his gut. “...I was forced to leave him behind in Greykeep.”

“I’m sorry,” Jongdeok offers, sincere. “But then you understand that you’d do anything for him, right?” 

“He’s my family,” Baekhyun agrees, swallowing around his guilt as he meets Jongdeok’s eyes. “I’d do _anything.”_   

Jongdeok nods in understanding. “I trust my brother, Baekhyun,” he says. “He’s naive, and stubborn, impulsive, hardworking, bratty…” Baekhyun smiles softly at all the qualities listed, since it’s true. “But he also sees the best in people, and I trust him more than anyone else in the world. I know he thinks that mother and I don’t understand him… but we do. It’s just hard to show that, sometimes, and what he wants may not always be what we want from him.” Baekhyun waits, hesitant, feeling Jongdeok’s magic pulse and curl around him suddenly, a quiet threat. “I trust you because he does. Don’t betray that trust, wolf, or it’s not the forest that will be spilling your blood.”

The King nods in finality and walks away, leaving Baekhyun pale and anxious, the gashes on his forearms burning. Does he know the real reason Baekhyun is here? Is that possible? Baekhyun had felt his power --how could he ever hope to stop _that_? Even if he wasn’t Jongdae’s brother, it’s clear to Baekhyun that he’s out of his depth, which puts Baekbeom’s life in jeopardy.

When Jongdae finds him again, he’s shaking.

“Is everything alright?” he asks, searching Baekhyun’s face, thumbs brushing over his cheeks. 

“Fine,” Baekhyun lies, pushing away his hands.

“What did Jongdeok say to you I’ll _kill_ him--”

“Nothing,” Baekhyun reassures, knocking his forehead against Jongdae’s. “It’s nothing.”

It seems to make Jongdae relax, softening, and in the secrecy behind trees they share another long, lingering kiss, Baekhyun’s hand coming to cup Jongdae’s cheek as he sighs into it. 

“C’mon,” Jongdae mumbles, pulling back and grinning. “Let’s go get that collar off.”

“Now?” Baekhyun blurts, dazed as Jongdae’s fingers circle his wrist, biting back a smile as he pulls Baekhyun through the village, leading him to Sunyoung’s treehouse. 

She’s waiting for them, standing in the centre of the room with a hide-wrapped toolkit at her belt, smiling as they enter. “Are you ready?” she asks.

Baekhyun’s fingers fly to his neck, tracing over the leather strap at his throat, so accustomed to the feeling he can’t even imagine it gone. 

“Yes,” Baekhyun answers, breathless.

They go out into the forest for the first time since his injury, Baekhyun wincing at the loudness of its song, calling to him, thirsting for the last piece of his blood. Jongdae sees the expression on his face and intertwines their fingers, smiling to give reassurance.

“The clasp is magically sealed by human mages,” Baekhyun tells Sunyoung. “Can you break it?” 

She snorts, almost offended. “Mages wouldn’t know true magic if it slapped them in the face. Of course I can break it, it’s a simple process.”

It must be, given by the speed of it all. Picking a suitable clearing in the forest, Sunyoung draws a circle in the ground, lying down some strips of dried-out meat. She sings, and the forest accepts her offering, sinking into the soil. It’s so different to the long-casting enchantments of the Keepers, that rely on stealing magic from the air rather than an equal trade. 

She gestures for Baekhyun to enter the circle and he does so hesitantly, kneeling and forcing his head down so that the back of his neck is bared. Sunyoung sings again, taking out a hammel and chisel from her unbound toolkit, and Baekhyun _feels_ more than hears the forest stir, responding to her song, a deep rumble in his blood and his bones as his magic stirs to the sound too. He’s never felt anything like this before, leaving him breathless as he gasps, feeling the parts of him that flow through the forest all _connect_.

Then Sunyoung strikes the hammer down onto the chisel hovering over the revealed seal, the collar snaps off, she stops singing and the feeling fades.

Baekhyun stares at the leather strap in his lap with its silver tag, nothing more than an old piece of material. He takes it with shaking hands, unable to believe that _this_ is the same thing he’s had around his neck since he became a fully-fledged wolf, incapable of comprehending it. The feeling of the forest still echoes in his chest, haunting.

“How do you feel?” Jongdae asks, snapping him from his reverie, grin blinding enough that Baekhyun can tell he’s the only one who had reacted to the magic that way, who had felt it so deep inside him his very core is hollowed.

“I feel like…” Baekhyun runs his fingers over his broken collar. “...This was on too tight and I can finally breathe.”

Jongdae laughs.

“You’re no longer a wolf, Baekhyun,” Sunyoung says. “You’re now a full citizen of Hel.”

The guilt is as constant as ever.

Baekhyun bows his head. “Thank you for removing it.”

“You should thank the King for letting me,” she corrects, giving a warm smile. “Though perhaps you won’t be thanking him when you get up at dawn tomorrow for your first lesson about magic.”

Ah, and there goes the relief of freedom. Baekhyun exhales. “Right.”

“I’ll get back to work.” She rolls up her toolkit, brushing away the circle with her foot. The forest sings to her sweetly, wind caressing her hair. “Don’t keep the Prince too late, Baekhyun, he has to start his pilgrimage tomorrow.” 

Talk about more mood killers; Jongdae grunts, Sunyoung walking off with a pleased laugh. 

They stand in the forest in silence, breathing in the thick magic. Jongdae turns to Baekhyun.

“So,” he starts, mouth curving up in a sly smile as he steps closer to Baekhyun, hands on his waist walking him back towards a tree. “Just how injured are you? I _am_ leaving for a week again, after all.” 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but pretending to be exasperated at Jongdae is a good distraction from the dread prickling his stomach, and the way he can feel his own blood pumping through the roots beneath his feet. 

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun barely has time to miss Jongdae, busy stumbling over himself trying to please the shamans who aren’t on the new moon’s pilgrimage with his magical studies. Yixing teaches him how to make offerings, Ryeowook takes him out to the forest to block out its deafening song, Sunyoung teaches him how to sing to the forest.

He’s terrible at _all_ of it.

With his magic being almost completely gone, Baekhyun keeps overcompensating in something that had been an instinct to begin with. He never went through the effort of proper rituals to give his offerings or singing to make the forest answer his call, it just _did_. Now, though, it barely listens to him, ignoring his offerings, singing over the top of him, never quietening down. The shamans seem to think it’s his lack of natural affinity for it all, but Baekhyun knows better. He belongs to the forest, and the forest knows it --who is he to tell it what to do? It tricked him and took the very same power he’d been using against it, now he pays the price. 

It’s exhausting, and he’s meant to handle all this strange mysticism and the mythologies accompanying it, not to mention tiefling law, while the ice melts away and spring approaches, meaning Kyungsoo takes Baekhyun into the forest more and more to hunt. It’s hard, now, when he can’t just tell the forest to give him prey. They often wander for days at a time tracking herds of deer that migrate to graze and animals waking up from hibernation. The village is struggling to keep up its meat stores with the bear around, too, breaking into traps and killing prey before they get a chance. Every day it seems to hunt closer and closer to Hel, and Baekhyun can see the way the worry gnaws at the village, unsure of what to do.

Day in and day out, Baekhyun is exhausted, but there’s a sort of freedom that accompanies that exhaustion too. As per the King’s command, he’s treated like a true villager of Hel with no collar around his neck, privy to all the gossip and trading and business, often unsure of what to do. Jongdae just laughs at him whenever Baekhyun asks what he’s meant to say when the lady elders pinch his cheeks and ask if he’s getting bound to anyone soon, since they’ve noticed his courting jewellery. Jongdae had taken Baekhyun’s broken hairpin and fixed it by winding cord around it, now a piece he wears proudly everyday.  

He drowns in the feeling of acceptance, of warmth and friends and something akin to home, and it’s only in the quiet moments at night with Jongdae’s head on his chest that Baekhyun stares at the ceiling of Jongdae’s treehouse and he thinks about Greykeep. How far he’s come from it, and how he’s ever going to go back. He needs to find a way to save Baekbeom, but he has no chance of making it back to Greykeep on his own. He could find some way to trick King Minseok but… how? Baekhyun can’t forsake Hel, he _can’t_ , and yet he can’t find another option without forsaking Baekbeom too. 

His hair is so long and incessant that Jongdae helps Baekhyun cut it, shaving the back and leaving the top quite long while neatening the bangs around his face, braiding some of the strands beneath his ear and winding them with coloured twine and feathered ends. Baekhyun suspects Jongdae had only done those half out of amusement and half because he likes to tug on them while they kiss to make Baekhyun moan --Jongdae is the reason tieflings are called demons, after all.

Chanyeol trades with Baekhyun for game in order to make him new spring clothes as the weather warms up, and Junmyeon helps him make better arrows and a new bow. The day Kyungsoo tosses Baekhyun a spear is completely unprecedented.

“What’s this?” he asks.

“Are you blind in both eyes too?” Kyungsoo counters before taking a fighting stance. 

So sparring and training with the new weapon becomes added to Baekhyun’s filled-out agenda --though at least he’s better at close range than the bow, but his aim when it comes to throwing the spear is pathetic. He’ll get better with time --or so he hopes.

It’s reaching the stage that Baekhyun is almost too tired to meet up with Jongdae at night --almost-- but at least all the running around Hel and the forest he does allows Baekhyun to collect materials for more courting gifts. Jongdae had come back from the new moon pilgrimage with a necklace for Baekhyun, the pendant carefully coiled wire curled in the shape of a crescent moon, strung around a cord with wooden beads and sitting perfectly at the base of Baekhyun’s throat. He’s attempted to make his responding necklace with a wire sun instead, trying to copy Jongdae’s design aesthetic and failing miserably, but at least manages to make it so that the sun fits perfectly in the curve of the moon.

Baekhyun makes up for it by trading with Miyoung an arm and a leg for some gold, smelting it into two round rings and roughly engraving their exterior with symbols of the twelve gods. He still has a little leftover, though, so he makes a third, larger ring for Jongdae’s tail, hoping the sizing is right. He gives the pendant to Jongdae as soon as he’d made it, who marvels at the way they now slot together perfectly, but he saves the rings for the full moon.

Which approaches quickly, when Baekhyun’s time is so filled up. His wounds have completely closed over now, leaving nothing but pale scars in their wake, something Baekhyun had asked Chanyeol to cover with long sleeves on his lighter leather tunic despite the warming weather, and his magic feels replenished. Still weaker, but no longer at the brink of being extinguished completely.

The full moon comes quickly, Baekhyun having contributed to a lot of the meat to be cooked himself, a point of pride. He paints his face himself, wearing his nicer leathers, tucking Jongdae’s next courting gift into his belt and breathing in the sweet spring air as he sets out to the festival he’d helped set out. So much of Hel is familiar to him, like home, he can’t imagine ever leaving.

He puts the thought aside.

He laughs and drinks and eats with the others around the fire, joining in at poking fun at Chanyeol for the bonding mark on his forearm, a neat scar of teeth, whisked away by Jongdae to sing and dance. It’s so easy now, so comfortable, with his stolen magic gone and his collar off Baekhyun feels like… himself. Free and loved and relaxed, _happy,_ he laughs more, he jokes more, he makes friends in the village easier, and he’s even a little bit better than Jongdae at dancing. Something he likes to reminds him about. 

They take a break by the fire to catch their breaths, laughing with their shoulders brushing, and Baekhyun takes the opportunity to pull the courting gift out of his pocket.

“Another gift?” Jongdae asks, face brightening. “You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to,” Baekhyun says fondly, thumb rubbing circles on the inside Jongdae’s wrist as he unwraps the hide, revealing the three golden rings.

“Three?” Jongdae asks, smiling.

Baekhyun takes one ring, slipping it onto Jongdae’s finger and kissing the knuckles gently, before pulling one onto his own fingers. The third he holds out and gestures for Jongdae’s tail, who blinks before pushing it over, Baekhyun tenderly stroking the soft fur before slipping the larger ring on, nestling it just beneath the tip. Jongdae pulls his tail back to watch it over his shoulder as it flicks, the gold glinting. 

“They’re beautiful, Baekhyun,” Jongdae says, leaning forward to kiss him, pushing his ringed hand through Baekhyun’s. He stares at it with thought, then determination passes over his face, standing and pulling Baekhyun up. “C’mon.”

“Shouldn’t you stay for the speeches?” Baekhyun asks. “We’re going to miss the--” he’s cut off by Jongdae tugging him in for a deeper, longer kiss that Baekhyun moans into, his hands falling to Jongdae’s narrow waist as he laughs into the kiss, dragging Baekhyun to the back of the Blood Tree. A branch lowers and Jongdae lets them both be pulled up, tugging Baekhyun into his treehouse and deepening the kiss. Baekhyun moans with Jongdae’s tongue in his mouth, and he feels his demon blood bubble with hunger and lust, that feeling of wanting his blood rising again.

“Can I make you feel good?” Baekhyun breathes out, searching Jongdae’s face.

“Yes,” he replies, equally as breathless, leading Baekhyun’s ringed hand to press against his cock, palming it. Jongdae’s hips buck into the touch, and Baekhyun salivates. “Fuck me.” 

He doesn’t need to be told twice, pushing Jongdae down onto the bed and ravaging him with kisses. His mouth his neck his cheek his chin his throat. Jongdae returns the favour by grazing his teeth under Baekhyun’s ear and over his neck, making him whimper from oversensitivity, his neck unused to being touched. He grinds against Jongdae’s thigh while pulling his clothes off at the same time, demon blood burning with frustration, growling in the back of his throat for Jongdae to hurry up.

“Slow down puppy,” Jongdae says, slowing the roll of his hips and lengthening their wet kisses, laughing against Baekhyun’s mouth. “It won’t feel good if you rush.”

“Want you,” Baekhyun mumbles between kisses, breathless. “Always.”

“And you have me,” Jongdae reassures. “Always. So take your time.”

Baekhyun tries to listen even through the thrumming in his blood, pulling back to look down at Jongdae, the flush of his cheeks and the fly-away curls from his topknot, reaching down to tug the hairpin out so the strands splay around his head. He takes him in greedily before leaning down for more kisses, stealing Jongdae’s breath with each one. 

Finally naked, Baekhyun kisses down Jongdae’s chest, tracing over all the geometric tattoos with his tongue and his fingers. Jongdae lets out a breathy laugh, his fingers tugging at the hair between Baekhyun’s wolf ears and on the little braids beside them to guide his mouth over Jongdae’s cock, taking it in greedily. Jongdae moans as Baekhyun sucks him off until he’s fully hard, always paying attention to the way Jongdae’s body reacts and how he likes to be pleased. He knows it well, by now, knows how to tease and make Jongdae flushed and whining, pull back to leave bruises up his thigh, to wrap his lips around the head and press his tongue against the underside.

Jongdae pulls at his fur cloak on the ground beside them, and rummages into one of the pockets on the inside before pulling out a small cask and tossing it at Baekhyun.

He catches it in one hand easily, looking at it. “What’s this?”

“Oil,” Jongdae answers, Baekhyun’s eyes widening in realisation. He meant-- _like_ that? Oh.

Jongdae laughs.

“Don’t look so affronted puppy.” Jongdae sits up, smoothing his hands up and down Baekhyun’s chest. “If you don’t want to we don’t have to--” 

“I want to,” Baekhyun blurts, making Jongdae’s smile widen. “I just…”

Jongdae pulls his face forward for a kiss.

“I trust you,” he whispers. “Just feel.” 

How can Baekhyun do anything _but_ feel? Pulling Jongdae into his lap so that his arms circle Baekhyun’s neck, the heat of their mouths against each other, pressing inside to _feel_ him gasp, taking Baekhyun’s air with it, tight and warm and _gods_ , Baekhyun’s blood is burning. He wants nothing more than to feel Jongdae right now, to watch him come apart, to make him feel good.

Baekhyun fingers Jongdae until he’s writhing against him, begging for more, to come on Baekhyun’s cock. Baekhyun can’t deny him anything, watching as Jongdae crawls onto his hands and knees in front of Baekhyun, vulnerable and waiting. Baekhyun surges to kiss him over his shoulder, Jongdae moaning into it, letting his mouth leave purple marks at the back of Jongdae’s neck and over his shoulders, tracing out the dip of his spine. 

Feeling Jongdae around him is too much, and Baekhyun can’t handle it, fingers leaving bruises on Jongdae’s hips as he pulls them towards him, seeking a rhythm. Jongdae grunts in front of him, hands digging into the sleepskin, pushing to rock against Baekhyun, too slow and too fast and too hot all at once. 

Baekhyun growls as he leans forward so that his chest is draped over Jongdae’s back, encapsulating him as he leaves more marks against his neck, raking his nails down Jongdae’s sides. Jongdae just makes more noises, loud and unapologetic as Baekhyun fucks into him, one hand snaking underneath to jerk Jongdae off as he does so. 

“Going to come inside me puppy?” Jongdae goads, panting. “Gonna mark me up?”

Baekhyun’s growl turns into a whimper as he buries his teeth into Jongdae’s shoulder to hear him grunt, careful not to break the skin, continuing to roll his hips. The thought of coming inside him is tempting, but it’s the marking up that Baekhyun really focuses on. 

 _Mine_ , his demon blood seems to sing, burning and unstoppable, hungry for something Baekhyun isn’t allowed to taste. He pulls out, Jongdae making a small noise of confusion, before pressing his dick between his thighs, using the oil that had dripped there to fuck between them, making Jongdae moan and press his legs closer together, pushing against Baekhyun.

When he’s close to coming, Baekhyun flips Jongdae flat onto his back, hands above his head to press down for a bruising kiss, blood still singing for more and more and more. His demon, his _wolf_ , is rabid, wanting to carve his name into Jongdae’s skin so the whole world knows who he belongs to.

Which is a little over the top, hence why Baekhyun ignores it, but he drinks Jongdae’s moan into his mouth, wondering the cause until he glances down and sees Jongdae touching himself, tugging at his own cock.

Baekhyun growls, taking Jongdae’s hands and pinning them above his head with one hand while using his free one to jerk himself off. Jongdae just laughs, spreading his legs further apart so Baekhyun can see all the marks down his stomach and ribs and thighs, watching him, waiting, mouth open, wet and swollen from kisses, panting lewdly. Baekhyun groans as he comes over Jongdae’s stomach. 

Jongdae's back arches at the sensation, gasping, and Baekhyun runs his fingers through it before dipping down to lick it all off, cleaning up his own mess.

"Shit," Jongdae curses as Baekhyun just looks up at him and licks the come off lips, blood still burning. He traces his hands over the marks on Jongdae's thighs, pressing into them to hear him hiss. Baekhyun smooths his hands behind them to hitch Jongdae's knees over his shoulders, dipping down to eat him out.

Jongdae cries out, thighs squeezing around Baekhyun's head as Baekhyun eats him, devours him, tongues through the taste of oil and fucks Jongdae with his fingers and mouth. He uses his free hand to intertwine their fingers together, pulling back for air and kissing over the ring on his knuckles, trailing up his wrist.

"Touch me," Jongdae orders, panting. Who is Baekhyun to disobey?

He wraps his lips around Jongdae's cock and jerks off what his mouth misses, squeezing their fingers tighter together until Jongdae comes in his mouth, moaning at the sensation and pulling back so that some of it lands on his face, across his lips. 

Jongdae's body melts into the bed as Baekhyun just swipes around his mouth, sucking his fingers into his mouth. _Mine_ , his demon seems to say, drawing Baekhyun's eyes towards his throat. He wants to bite, wants to devour, wants to _consume_ , wants to--

Jongdae pulls Baekhyun against his chest for an awkward, sticky hug, making them both laugh, still catching their breath. 

"Well," Jongdae says, panting. "That was amazing."

Baekhyun hums in lazy agreement, wriggling forward to kiss Jongdae, who wrinkles his nose.

"We stink of sex and each other."

"Is that a bad thing?" Baekhyun tips his head. He _likes_ that Jongdae smells like him, likes how marked up he is.

"Not for you puppy, but I'd rather not have the whole village know what we've done in explicit detail." He pulls Baekhyun in for a lingering kiss, pressing his tongue against his bottom lip before pulling away. He brings Baekhyun's hands up, kissing over his ring and then down his wrist over his new scar. "C'mon. We need to bathe.”

They sneak out the back entrance of Hel, shifting and carrying their clothes in their maws, dashing to the springs to clean. In the hot water Baekhyun just pulls Jongdae into his lap and kisses him again, whimpering as Jongdae leaves marks over his throat where the collar once was, blood heated from far more than just the water. 

“No getting dirty again when we just got clean, puppy,” Jongdae warns, his voice ghosting over Baekhyun’s skin as he grinds against him under the water. Baekhyun whines, chasing Jongdae’s mouth. 

The forest around them sings for blood.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

 

Baekhyun creeps out of Jongdae’s treehouse at dawn to meet Kyungsoo and the other hunters for a hunt. To his surprise, the Queen is standing at the base of the Blood Tree, looking furious. He adjusts his spear and bow across his back as he walks closer, bowing his head.

“Your Majesty,” he greets.

“I told you to stay away from him.”

Baekhyun glances upwards. “You did,” he answers. “But you were not my Queen, then.”

“So you’re a tiefling of Hel now?” she asks, stepping closer, her magic blazing in the air around her in a threat. Baekhyun once found the Queen’s power repressive, but now he just sees her for the scared mother she is, overprotective of her son. “Does that not make me your Queen?”

“And Jongdae is my Prince,” Baekhyun counters. “I cannot serve one if it opposes the other.”

“Stop it,” she hisses. “With these courting gifts and obvious affections. You reek of each other. Do you not care how Jongdae’s own people see him?” Baekhyun inhales slowly, gritting his teeth. “He can’t love you, he _won’t_. He never will. He’s too good for you.”

“I know,” Baekhyun answers, stunning the Queen as she blinks, affronted. “But you were right. I am just a selfish wolf.”

He meets up with Kyungsoo, Seulgi and the hunting party at the main bridge, catching his breath from having jogged over. His blood still burns in anger at the Queen overstepping her boundaries, but he chooses to ignore it. They both care about Jongdae, albeit in very different methods and ways, antagonising her will get him nowhere. 

“You’re late,” Kyungsoo grunts. 

“And one day you’ll get sick of pointing that out.” Baekhyun laughs at the vein popping out of Kyungsoo’s forehead.

Their catch is pathetic, the forest around Hel is withering, the balance upset by the demon moon bear lurking around it. It steals from their traps and over-hunts their game, sucks the magic from the air, a never ending corrupted hunger that’s destroying the land.

“We need to deal with this, Kyungsoo,” Seulgi states, voicing what’s on everybody else’s mind as they return to the village, empty-handed. “It’s upsetting the balance.”

“It’s a demon bear,” Kyungsoo snaps. “‘Dealing with it is not that simple.”

“Why not?” Baekhyun asks, glancing around. “There’s plenty of us here. Wouldn’t we be enough to take it down?”

“ _No_ ,” Kyungsoo insists. “I won’t have any of you hurt. We won’t hunt this bear until we’re prepared to deal with it, whether that be this full moon or the next.”

“The full moon!?!?” Yerim exclaims, shocked. “We don’t have time for that! It’s already too powerful. If we’re not careful it will come to Hel itself.”

“Who here has actually fought a demon?” Kyungsoo shouts, the group dead silent. "I know the threat the bear poses, I have for a long time. We’re better to wait it out until it leaves and let the forest recover on its own.”

“At what risk?” Sooyoung adds. “What if it turns to Hel? What if the forest _can’t_ recover? If we can’t hunt then we lose food, materials--”

“Then we hunt elsewhere,” Kyungsoo finalises, succinct. “I won’t hear any more of it. I will not lose any of you to the bear, understand?”

“Yes,” they all answer, keeping their gazes down. Baekhyun stays silent, looking at the oversized footprints of the bear. 

 _It took our magic_ , the forest whispers. _It kills us for more_ . _You have to stop it_.

Baekhyun shakes his head. _I can’t._

 _You must_ , the forest sings, louder and louder, so deafening Baekhyun has to cover his ears. _You belong to us, you must protect us_.

He can hear the cries of pains of the dying plants around him, their magic broken and stolen by the corrupted bear. The sound grows louder and louder and Baekhyun bends over, crying out to make it stop.

“Baekhyun!” It cuts out, and Kyungsoo’s hands are on Baekhyun’s shoulders, shaking him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he lies, pulling back and rubbing his forearms. They burn. “Just... The forest is in a lot of pain. I can hear it.” 

“It’s losing magic,” Kyungsoo agrees with a solemn nod. “But it will regain it. Come.”  

As the forest cries out around him, Baekhyun isn’t so sure that’s true. 

Then again, maybe that’s just what it wants him to think.

  
  
  
  


“In Greykeep can monarchies abdicate?” 

“We have one King and he’s immortal from stealing magic for centuries.”

“Ah.” Jongdae slumps. “Right.” 

“Why?” Baekhyun asks, rolling closer to Jongdae and brushing a hand through his hair absentmindedly. “Wanting to give up your crown?”

“Only my whole life,” Jongdae snorts, nuzzling his cheek into Baekhyun’s chest. He sighs. “No, my family would never forgive me even if I _could_. Besides… the circlet is so pretty.”

“It is,” Baekhyun agrees, kissing Jongdae’s forehead to prove his point.

“But this pilgrimage stuff sucks, I can’t believe I agreed to be my brother’s future right hand. Ugh. Can’t he just find someone to bond to like the rest of us?” 

 Baekhyun tries to hide his smile. “Is there someone you’ve found?”

“Hmm maybe.” Jongdae rests on his chin, giving Baekhyun a playful grin, tail flicking. “He’ll need to wait for me to be sure though, and I want to make sure he’s ready too.”

“I bet he’s very patient, since he likes you.”

Jongdae pinches him.

He rolls out of bed and stretches, Baekhyun admiring the curve of his spine and ass and the marks and tattoos running down it as he does so, staying in bed. Jongdae may have to get up before dawn to leave, but Baekhyun still has a few minutes.

“Hey,” Jongdae starts, Baekhyun humming to show he’s listening as he cracks open his working eye. “Do you think… maybe, in a few months or summers or so, you could take me back to Greykeep? I want to see it again. All of it.”

Baekhyun’s hand flies to his bare throat, and guilt wells through him. “I don’t know…”

“I know you don’t want to go back--” Jongdae kneels on the edge of the bed, biting his lip-- “But I thought we could… sneak in, see things. Maybe tell your brother everything that’s happened. Make sure he’s safe… even ask him to come with us?”

Baekhyun smiles at the thought, softening at Jongdae’s kindness, his ever-constant need to see the world and help everyone in it.

“Baekbeom would hate Hel,” Baekhyun says, taking Jongdae’s fingers and fiddling with them, smoothing over the rings there --all gifts from Baekhyun, of course.

“But you still want to see him, right? Make sure he’s okay?”

Baekhyun squeezes. “More than anything.”

“Then maybe… once you think it’s safer, we can talk about this again.” Jongdae gives him a hopeful look. Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say, so he sits up to kiss Jongdae instead, hand cupping his jaw. They fit together as perfectly as ever, Baekhyun sighing into the kiss, wondering what he’s meant to do about all this. Jongdae sees their future stretching into cycles and summers --Baekhyun knows they only have two full moons. He should just tell Jongdae the truth, he _should_ , but then thoughts of Baekbeom hold him back --and now, thoughts of betraying Jongdae to add to that. Baekhyun doesn’t know what to do, and the clock is running out.

“ _Aaaand_ now I’m late. Thank you puppy.” Jongdae pulls away from the kiss, making Baekhyun whine. Jongdae kisses his cheek. “I’ll see you at the farewell?”

“Of course.” Baekhyun tugs him in for his last proper kiss, long and deep and slow. Jongdae pulls away first, physically pushing Baekhyun back.

“ _Bye_ , puppy,” he insists, giggling. Baekhyun just flattens back onto the sleeping mat, huffing. Without Jongdae around to focus on, the forest’s song is loud enough to reach him even in the centre of Hel, whispering straight to his ears and digging into his bones.

Baekhyun gets up.

  
  
  
  


Halfway out the door, Junmyeon says, “Could you pick up some yew? I’m having trouble finding it myself.”

Baekhyun frowns. “I have singing lessons with Sunyoung, and then I have to meet up with the hunters to assess the damage.”

“After, then,” Junmyeon offers. “I know you have better luck with the forest because it likes you, so…”

Baekhyun winces. “Right,” he says, rubbing the inside of his wrist. “With the bear…”

Junmyeon sighs at the mention, running a hand through his hair. “Some of us are thinking of hiking deeper in the forest on an expedition to collect resources at this rate. We don’t know how long it will take the forest to recover, even _with_ magic.” 

Baekhyun grunts in agreement, going upstairs to grab his bow, quiver and spear since he’ll be heading into the forest. Chanyeol is lazing on the bed, scratching at his stomach as he fiddles with a toy in his hands.

“Don’t you have your own house?” Baekhyun asks.

“Don’t you?” Chanyeol counters. “Jongdae’s doesn’t count!” he calls as Baekhyun heads down again, rolling his eyes. 

“I’ll be back tonight,” he tells Junmyeon before sliding the door shut behind him, heading towards Sunyoung’s. He likes singing lessons, not only for the ability to communicate and control magic, but also just to use his voice. They’re not teaching him how to grow houses and manipulate the forest, but it’s a matter of principal. Everyone who hears the forest is taught how to sing to it, since it helps to control the temptation.

Lessons are cut short early due to an emergency meeting between shamans about healing the forest, giving Baekhyun extra time before sundown to forage for a decent yew sapling that could actually be harvested. The ground is cold and hard and the trees are greyed, no leaves budding despite Spring having come, magic in the air thin. It’s hard for Baekhyun to even focus when the forest’s cries of pain are so fucking _loud_ , he’s tired.

He gives up early, and meets Kyungsoo and the others by the usual spot, requested by the King to asses the damages of the bear and how best to deal with it. Kyungsoo is adamant about not fighting it if they can avoid it, but the shamans argue that they _can’t_ avoid it to begin with. The politics are messy and consume the whole village, and it shows in the bags under Kyungsoo’s eyes. 

They wander through the forest together, on edge with the static air and stale scent of lost magic. They point out to one another bear tracks and spots that are more particularly damaged than others, Kyungsoo taking note to tell the shamans later so they can best assess it all. Baekhyun doesn’t like the forest like this, silent and still, and it bothers him, standing his fur on end. It reminds him of Greykeep.

He shivers as he examines the claw gashes on a nearby trunk, double-stepping to catch up with the rest of the group, but a root curls around his ankle, holding him in place.

 _You gave yourself to us_ , the forest whispers. _Protect us_.

Great.

“The ritual was never completed,” Baekhyun repeats Sunyoung’s words, though they feel empty on his tongue. If it had, the forest’s greed and hunger would’ve corrupted him, leaving him as nothing more than a mindless bloodhound, a demon, no different to those corrupted after a full moon.

 _We took enough_.

And doesn’t Baekhyun know it, feeling parts of himself like phantom limbs coursing in the ground beneath his feet, through the trees around him, in the air itself. He shudders.

“Why give the bear magic to begin with?” he asks.

 _We did not give it,_ the forest says, and Baekhyun sees them again, the visions through eyes that aren’t eyes, invading his head and making his skull pound. A normal moon bear, knocking down a tree in an attempt to reach honey, stealing its magic in the process. _It was not the first time_.

Then Baekhyun sees _him_ again, that child, knocking down a tree by accident in his anger, eyes widening in realisation. 

The vision passes. 

Baekhyun rubs his temple, not exactly enjoying the feeling of the forest’s magic invading his mind. 

“I can’t kill a demon,” he tells it. “I’m not strong enough. You took my magic from me, remember?”

_You gave it to us._

“You _took_ it,” Baekhyun corrects, unable to believe that he’s actually standing out here, rooted into the ground, arguing with an ancient magical forest. “And even with it I wouldn’t be able to fight a bear so powerful. Not so close to the new moon, and not on my own.”

 _You are not alone_ , the forest sings. _You have us_ . _We can help you._

Baekhyun is exasperated. “No. No more manipulation. I’m not making any more deals with you.”

He pulls his foot out of the root’s embrace, withering away and slithering back into the dirt as he stomps ahead, catching up to the others.

“Who were you talking to?” Seulgi asks, striped ears flicking.

 _You don’t have a choice_. 

“No one,” he lies, walking forward. 

The forest’s song is persistent as they continue through the forest, deafening his ears and distracting him. Then it just cuts off altogether, and Baekhyun falters. Surely the stubborn, selfish forest didn’t give up so easily?

The magic grows thinner and Baekhyun can tell the whole group senses it, on edge, huddling together, but he notices the groaning of wood a second too late.

“Stop!” Baekhyun shouts at Kyungsoo, leading the group. “Don’t go that way!” 

“Why not?” Kyungsoo retorts, irritated.

“The forest is changing--” Baekhyun says, having realised too late the creak of wood and shifting of paths. He’s only ever seen it under his own orders, but here-- “It’s leading us into a trap.”

“A trap?” Kyungsoo asks, brow furrowed. “Why would it do that? We serve the forest, we--”

A deep growl from up ahead cuts him off, turning Kyungsoo ashen. The whole group seems to freeze at the same time, no one speaking, no one breathing, just listening to the inhuman growl. The ground at their feet quivers, and Baekhyun hears thick, sickly breathing, the forest crying with each breath as its magic is ripped from the air itself. The growling grows louder, and Baekhyun can _feel_ it crawling over his skin, the corrupted and tainted magic, pinning him down, suppressing him. He inhales sharply, and his eyes sting at the stench of death and rot, choking him.

“ _Run_ ,” Kyungsoo shouts, and they all snap out of their dazes, pulling their bows off their backs and sprinting into the forest at the same time the bear breaks out from behind the trees, roaring. It’s larger than anything Baekhyun has ever seen, and blacker than total darkness, a giant void of hunger and magic that seeks to consume everything in its path. It breaks through trees simply by running forward, shaking the earth with each bound as they scramble forward, trying to get out of its path. 

Its large strides help it catch up to them in no time, and Seulgi is forced to roll forward to dodge as the bear lunges to where she once stood, roaring as it misses. Its maw drips with concentrated magic in its saliva, falling to the ground and leaving puddles. Its eyes are red the whole way across, burning with hunger. Is this the power of corrupted magic? Is this what Baekhyun could’ve become if he hadn’t been strong enough to resist?

No time to dwell on it now, as Kyungsoo shoots an arrow over Baekhyun’s shoulder, barely piercing the bear’s thick hide and doing nothing more than to irritate it, roaring as it growls and turns in their direction. Wordlessly, they all spread out and take up their bows, knowing they have no chance of escaping. It’s them against the bear, and only one can win this fight.

Most of the arrows miss or bounce off its skin, but Baekhyun’s lands through the thin cartilage of its ear, making the bear stand up on its hind legs to roar in pain, falling onto its front paws and shaking the ground enough that Baekhyun falls over, barely rolling out of the way as the bear swipes at him.

 _Protect us_ , the forest sings. _Kill it_.

“Trying to live first,” Baekhyun grits out, once again dodging to the side before knocking another arrow to his bow and firing, landing it in the elbow of the bear’s front paw. More arrows are decorated over its body, but most of them don’t even pierce through all the layers of skin, dropping out as the wound heals over or splintering, the wolfsbane poison not even strong enough to disrupt the power of its magic. 

Baekhyun’s body is thrumming with adrenaline, but he feels weak, his magic gone and helpless in the face of the bear, especially without his demon form. Only their spears are coated with enough poison to cause serious injury but… there’s no way a throw will have enough force behind it to break through the bear’s skin. Baekhyun needs to get _close_ to do any damage, and in the process would put him at the mercy of the bear’s overwhelming strength. 

He can tell Kyungsoo, nearest to him, is having the same deliberation of thought, his hand flexing as if to reach for his spear but pulling back. It’s that same hesitation that makes Kyungsoo’s reflexes too late, and Baekhyun reacts without thinking, pushing him out of the way as the bear takes the second of thought to strike.  

The claws scrape along his back and Baekhyun screams in pain as he’s slapped forward, pushed onto the earth and bleeding as Yerim fires another arrow to distract the bear as Kyungsoo rushes over to Baekhyun.

“Are you okay?” he asks, but Baekhyun can’t do much more than make a guttural noise of pain, rolling over and ducking behind a tree and immediately wincing as his blood drips onto the floor below, sinking into the soil. Great, just what he needs, more pieces of himself given to the forest. 

 _We can help you_ , the forest sings. _Let us_. 

“No,” he grits out. “I don’t belong to you.” Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, but Baekhyun doesn’t have time to deal with that right now, the wind pushing against him.

 _You are ours,_ it says. Roots begin to snake out of the ground, curling around Baekhyun’s legs. _Give in. It is the only way_. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Kyungsoo asks, stepping back as the roots continue to emerge from the ground, coiling around Baekhyun. He groans. “What sort of magic _is_ this?” 

But Baekhyun doesn’t _want_ to give in, doesn’t want to become like the demon bear --drunk on magic and corrupted by it, constantly hungering for more. If he’s not strong enough to hold onto the forest’s magic he’ll become a full-blooded demon, a bloodhound, and that’s not something he’s prepared to do. If he gives all of himself to the forest he’ll never get it back.

“Help me kill the bear,” he tells it, barely managing to pull himself to his feet as the roots snap and wither back into the earth, crying. “But I’m not giving myself to you to do it.” 

 _So be it_ , the forest sings, and Baekhyun gasps when he feels a root reach into his wound, digging into his skin. It hurts, burning through his blood, but he feels ignited with magic, his senses extending to the entire area around him. He doesn’t just feel the forest’s pain, he _is_ its pain, every broken tree and every deadened ground, the thin air, all of it, it's all connected and Baekhyun is a nerve within it, consuming him.

He’s so hungry.

The root pulls out, and the wound closes, leaving Baekhyun gasping for breath as he looks down at his hands, flexing his fingers. Kyungsoo watches, horrified. 

“What--” he tries to ask, but Baekhyun doesn’t answer, tossing his broken bow to the ground and picking up his spear, invigorated with a sort of power he’s never felt before, not even when he’d stolen wildling magic. 

“Keep it distracted,” he tells Kyungsoo, who only grits his teeth before nodding, knocking another arrow to his bow. Despite the magic coursing through him Baekhyun knows it will burn out quick, giving him only a short opportunity to weave between the trees, trying to get behind the bear to blindside it. 

It senses his magic though, following his scent, but an arrow to its neck has it redirecting its focus again, the other hunters following Kyungsoo’s cue. Baekhyun inhales deeply, reaching into his new found power and reaching out with his phantom limbs, watching as tree roots and vines break out from under the soil to curl around the bears legs, pulling it down. It groans, loud and ear-splitting, but the plants are relentless, holding it back as it thrashes and breaks them over and over, struggling to get free. Baekhyun leaps forward with all his strength, plunging his spear into the bear’s back and hearing it roar as it leaps onto his hind legs and throws him off, the spear slipping through his fingers. 

Baekhyun barely moves in time to dodge the bear bringing its front paws down on where he’d been before using an amount of speed he’s never had before to dash around it.

“Fire again!” he shouts, and the hunters, while looking slightly perplexed, all obey, shooting another hail of arrows into the bears side, making it roar in more pain, torn between attacking Baekhyun and going for the shooters, held back by the forest holding it down. Baekhyun’s newfound power is already running out, but he tries to hold onto it just a little bit tighter,

The bear swipes for him, and Baekhyun leaps into a nearby tree to dodge, even as the bear breaks its trunk to knock it over, Baekhyun using the momentum to leap onto the bear’s back and grip onto his spear in mid air, anchoring himself down. He rips it out of the bears skin with it crying in anguish, leaping off and skidding through the soil as he regains his grip on the spear’s shaft. 

Baekhyun waits until the bear lunges at him with an open maw, quickly dodging at the last second to plunge his spear through the side of its neck, using every ounce of strength he has. It’s barely enough, but roots emerge out of the ground to wrap around the spear and push with him, tearing through the bear’s throat and ripping back out. 

It splutters, black blood gushing out of its wound, and stumbles, shaking the earth, before falling onto its side, heaving. It groans in pain as it bleeds out, stolen magic sinking back into the soil, and Baekhyun sees its eyes watch him, foul mouth open and panting, fearful. It looks so scared, so vulnerable, unwilling to be corrupted by magic but having had no choice. 

“You’re free now,” Baekhyun tells it softly, stroking the fur above its ear. “You can rest.”

The bear whimpers, shutting its red eyes, and Baekhyun plunges his spear through its under belly into its heart --the only way to truly kill a demon-- shaking as he does so, watching its black blood spill. The borrowed magic inside him extinguishes, and Baekhyun shakes, collapsing onto his knees as he takes in the bears dead body, filled with an overwhelming sadness. Not a single part of it will go to waste, and its life _had_ to be ended for the good of the forest, but still… Baekhyun finds himself weeping, tears slipping down his cheeks. The bear had never asked for its miserable fate, yet it was forced into it regardless. 

“It’s over,” Kyungsoo says softly, a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “It’s done. You killed it.” 

But Baekhyun can’t stop shaking, feeling the pain of the bear and the forest around him and feeling everything too much simultaneously, overwhelming. He just keeps crying, a deep emptiness inside him, Kyungsoo’s arms wrapped around him, echoing in the dead trees surrounding them. 

  
  
  
  


They drag its corpse all the way back to Hel with long ropes, save for the injured, who are quickly taken to the shamans by Seulgi. The village watches in awe as the oversized demon is pulled along, Baekhyun barely able to take in their expressions of shock as he keeps his eyes trained on the ground, still mourning. There seems to be some silent agreement that no one will discuss about what they witnessed in the forest, the strange magic and Baekhyun’s sudden power, but Kyungsoo keeps flicking glances at him, telling Baekhyun he can’t avoid his answers forever.

The whole village has gathered in the plaza now, following the commotion, and the royals walk out of the Blood Tree court with expressions of shock, worry, and disbelief on their faces as the bruised and battered hunters drag the bear’s corpse with strength that’s a miracle they still have.

“What is this?” the King asks. “I thought we agreed the bear would not be dealt with without proper preparations.”

“We accidentally crossed its path,” Baekhyun lies, bowing his head and clapping his hands. “But we killed it.”

“ _Baekhyun_ killed it,” Sooyoung corrects, shooting Baekhyun a smile as he glances at her, sheepish. The King’s expression goes from shock, to disbelief, to smoothing back over into neutrality.

“I see.” The King straightens up. “Well, Baekhyun? The bear belongs to you. Despite your debt to the village, such a worthy prize should not be taken away. What do you propose be done with it?”

Baekhyun falters, unsure. He doesn’t want to dictate such a thing, fearing he may make the wrong choice --inspiration strikes, quick and deadly like lightning.

Baekhyun puffs out his chest, sticking his chin up. “I present it to the Prince, your majesty. As a courting gift. He may decide its fate.”

Jongdae’s expression turns comically shocked, jaw hanging open as he points at himself. The village bursts into whispers at Baekhyun’s public display of affections, and the Queen turns red in barely concealed anger.

“Me?” Jongdae asks. “You’re giving it to _me?_ ” 

“Do you not like it?” Baekhyun adds meekly, swallowing. He knows it’s a little old fashioned by wildling standards to give dead animals but not _totally_ out of line. He wants to show Jongdae that he’s committed, dedicated, no more cowering down to his mother; and beyond that, Baekhyun trusts Jongdae to make a better decision for the bear’s fate than he himself ever would. 

“You killed a demon and then claimed it was for my sake,” Jongdae mumbles, quiet enough for only Baekhyun to hear as he takes his hand, squeezing his fingers. “That’s a hard gift to not like.” 

Baekhyun preens, tail wagging as he grins.

“This bear’s life will not have been taken in vain,” Jongdae announces to the crowd, using his most princely voice. “Every part of it will serve the village well, and will be paid its proper respects this coming full moon.”

It’s an excellent, respectful choice, and the crowd seems to agree, cheering. Baekhyun relaxes, and the King invites the entire hunting party inside to the court for tea, to celebrate their victory and recount their tale. The crowd disperses slowly, some lingering to bow and pay respects to the bear before scurrying off, shamans flocking to its corpse quickly to sing to the magic lingering inside it, setting it free to go back to the forest.

Baekhyun watches on, feeling a deep exhaustion settle alongside relief. 

“So,” Jongdae starts, sidling up beside him. “That was _quite_ the public declaration.”

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun blurts. “I didn’t know what else to do with it. Your brother put me on the spot.”

“It’s fine,” Jongdae reassures, laughing. “At least now you’ll be the demon slayer, so my mother can’t say you’re unworthy. And I can do this.” He pulls Baekhyun towards him for a long, deep kiss that has Baekhyun’s toes curling, gripping onto Jongdae’s shirt for balance. “Are you hurt?” Jongdae asks breathily as he pulls back. “Maybe I should’ve asked that first.” He laughs at himself.

Baekhyun thinks to the torn back of his tunic, the dried blood there but the closed over skin. He shakes his head. “Just exhausted,” he admits, knocking his forehead against Jongdae’s shoulder and inhaling his sweet dewy scent, comforted. “Feed me,” he whines.

Jongdae strokes through his hair. “If puppy insists.”

He pulls Baekhyun away, and as he stumbles he glances over his shoulder to make eye contact with a wary Kyungsoo, looking at Baekhyun like he doesn’t recognise him anymore. 

  
  
  
  


The feast between the King and the hunters to celebrate the defeat of the bear is incredible, rich fruits and nuts with strange grains and succulent meats from the royal’s stores, things the King drunkenly admits to having hunted himself, proud as Jongdae beside him rolls his eyes, holding Baekhyun’s hand under the table. It’s festive and warm and helps to soothe their exhaustion and fear --no one was killed, and the injured will heal just fine. The forest can now begin to recover, and Hel survives another day. 

The entire event is intoxicating for Baekhyun, the atmosphere, the comfort, the company, the warmth of Jongdae pressed unabashedly to his side --a relationship no one has made any comments on, save for the Queen’s constant look of constipation as she glares. Baekhyun is indifferent.

Still, it’s a bit much at once, and Baekhyun can’t handle the attention he gets for having killed the bear to begin with, as Yerim excited talks about how the forest had wanted the bear dead too, and the way Baekhyun had _moved_. Baekhyun quietly excuses himself for fresh air as he dashes out of the court, Jongdae giving him a lingering, worried look.

Baekhyun shakily exhales as he leans against a nearby tree, just needing to catch his breath and clear his head for a moment. The bear is still in the courtyard unmoved --it will begin to be prepared tomorrow, in order to be ready by the full moon in a few days. Baekhyun stares at its lifeless eyes and shivers.

“They don’t realise, you know,” Kyungsoo says, startling Baekhyun enough that he jumps before cursing under his breath, wishing Kyungsoo would _stop doing that._ “They think the forest was just fighting back. On its _own._ They didn’t see what I saw.”

Baekhyun swallows, turning his gaze.

“And what was it that I saw, exactly, Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo asks, cold. “What _are_ you?”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun answers, clenching his shaking fists and folding his arms to hide them. “I-- ever since the forest took my blood it’s been. Different.”

“Different _how,_ Baekhyun. I thought the ritual wasn’t completed since you, you know, _didn’t become a corrupted demon.”_

“It just has,” Baekhyun growls, trying to find his words as Kyungsoo searches his face, a little bit wary, a little bit… fearful. “I used to be able to control the forest or at least persuade it, but since it took my magic it’s like it controls me. Or it wants to, at least.”

“You knew the bear was coming,” Kyungsoo states. “You knew the forest was leading us to it.”

Baekhyun swallows, then nods. “It said I had to protect it and I noticed it rearranging itself too late. I never wanted to put anyone in danger, I promise.”

Kyungsoo looks conflicted, but he relaxes a little, sighing.

“Then what was that, Baekhyun? It was like you and the forest were… connected. I’ve never seen anything like that, _ever_ , and certainly not with the tiefling in question coming out of it sane.”

“I told you I don’t know!” Baekhyun snaps, panic rising in his chest. “It just… it said it would give me power to defeat the bear, but I refused, so it only gave me a bit and I could just… I wasn’t connected to the forest, Kyungsoo, I _was_ the forest.”

Silence stretches on as Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun, trying to make sense of him.

“You need to tell the shamans about this,” he says eventually, stern.

“ _No_ ,” Baekhyun insists. “Kyungsoo, please, nobody can know about this. I don’t… I don’t know what will happen to my place here if they knew.”

Kyungsoo grunts in frustration. “Baekhyun, whatever the fuck happened out there isn’t something you can just _ignore_. I’ve never seen anyone just-- speak to the forest like that, to use its magic. You need help.”

“I don’t _need_ anything,” Baekhyun shouts back, feeling the panic simmer in his blood. What if it’s forbidden and he’s kicked out of Hel for good? What if it’s proof that he’s a demon after all, right to his core, withstanding such powerful magic like that? No, nobody needs to know, lest Baekhyun’s already short time left be cut _too_ short. “I only let the forest use me for the bear, I won’t let it happen again. Kyungsoo, please, just-- keep it a secret. For me. I don’t need shamans dissecting me over something that doesn’t matter and I… I don’t want Jongdae to worry.”

Kyungsoo softens at that, sighing, and he relents. “Fine,” he mumbles. “I’ll keep your secret, but if you ever use magic like that again, Baekhyun, I’ll tell them all myself.”

Kyungsoo storms away after that, and Baekhyun watches him leave, exhaling into the air with relief as he slides back against the tree, crouching. There’s a hollow ache in his chest, like something is missing, and even deep in Hel Baekhyun can hear the forest singing to him, wanting to be complete again.

  
  
  


The full moon arrives quickly, the bear skinned and sanctioned off to the make more roof coverings and tents for the village --a project Chanyeol is assigned to. Its meat is harvested for the festival's feast, its bones buried to be stripped and cleaned by insects. The shamans are careful to take the parts most concentrated with magic to extract it, using the power to heal the forest in its most damaged parts. 

Its skull, once clean, is hoisted and displayed in the Blood Tree court, a warning to all who dare to cross Hel --and a reminder.

The attention Baekhyun receives throughout the festival is a bit too much to handle, given praise and thanks by every villager that passes for felling the great demon, for protecting them all. They thank him for his duties to his people, his home, and Baekhyun can't handle it. _His_ people. _His_ home. He's proven his worth, and been accepted, no longer a wolf but a tiefling. It makes his heart feel so full he's worried it will burst from his chest, even as his gut writhes in guilt, unable to stomach all the deceit.

"Hey," Jongdae greets, finding Baekhyun behind a tree trunk. "Hiding, huh?" His gold eyes sparkle in the twilight.

"No," Baekhyun lies. "Just… overwhelmed."

"The great demonslayer~" Jongdae mockingly swoons, holding the back of his hand against his forehead. "You saved us~"

"Shut up." Baekhyun pinches Jongdae's waist, who yelps and recoils, making Baekhyun smile. He tugs at Jongdae's hand in apology, pulling him in for a kiss. Jongdae makes it brief, then leans back, making Baekhyun whine as he chases his mouth forward, only for Jongdae to pull away again.

Baekhyun _growls_ , but Jongdae only laughs, worming out of Baekhyun's grip and facing him with a coy smile, tail flicking playfully. Every time Baekhyun steps forward, Jongdae steps back, teasingly leaning his face forward before smiling and pulling away, not allowing Baekhyun to kiss him. His ears flick gleefully as Baekhyun crouches and growls, predatory, before lunging quickly, but Jongdae only dances out of reach, laughing as he does. 

Baekhyun keeps chase, grinning, but Jongdae just runs through the forest while staying out of his grasp, lingering to tease Baekhyun into thinking he’s finally caught him before slipping out of reach again. It’s infuriating, Baekhyun wanting nothing more than to catch Jongdae and kiss him senseless, but the game is exhilarating too, dashing between trees, over rocks, across rivers, their laughter echoing in the night around them. 

Jongdae’s figure comes into the view, so Baekhyun pumps his arms and legs into a sprint to catch up, wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s waist from behind and spinning him in mid-air, Jongdae’s laugh as beautiful as music. Baekhyun puts him down and presses his back against a tree, grinning at Jongdae.

Slowly, tightening his grip on Jongdae’s waist, Baekhyun leans forward while watching Jongdae’s mouth, only for Jongdae to tug at his tail and make Baekhyun yelp, dashing away again and giggling. Baekhyun has had _enough_ , growling in frustration before chasing Jongdae down relentlessly as he leads them to their grove, tackling him to the ground. In spring, the cherry flowers bloom, their blood red petals swirling in the breeze. 

They scuffle through the underbrush until Baekhyun is able to straddle Jongdae and pin him down, both of them panting as they look at each other, Baekhyun grinning. Jongdae wiggles, but it’s no use.

“I win,” Baekhyun declares, watching hungrily as Jongdae’s tongue dips out to lick his lips, his face flushed, chest heaving. 

“Then claim your prize,” he says, and Baekhyun dips down to finally, _finally_ kiss him, his demon blood singing in relief and joy and victory and _hunger,_ Jongdae moaning into the kiss as Baekhyun’s tongue pries into his mouth, scraping his teeth along his bottom lip. He releases his grip from pinning Jongdae’s hands to intertwine their fingers instead, rocking his hips slowly against him and swallowing Jongdae’s gasp.

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae breathes out, sitting up and tipping Baekhyun back in the process, one hand cupping his cheek as the kisses grow wetter and deeper, Baekhyun’s rocking insistent, pressing his thigh to Jongdae’s cock to hear him moan. “ _Baekhyun_ ,” he repeats like a mantra, panting into his mouth. “I want you.” 

“You have me,” Baekhyun replies, continuing to kiss him. Jongdae shakes his head.

“No,” he says. “Properly.” 

Baekhyun’s face furrows in confusion as Jongdae pulls at the neck of his tunic, turning his head to the side and exposing his neck, making Baekhyun’s mouth water. 

“Bond to me, Baekhyun,” Jongdae says. “Make me yours and become mine.”

Baekhyun is left speechless, surging forward to kiss Jongdae with enough force that he tips backwards, laughing.

“Is that a yes?” 

“I’ve wanted this since we first met,” Baekhyun replies, trailing his fingers over Jongdae’s throat and watching him shiver. “Your blood, your heart, you. Long before I even realised that it was what I wanted.”

Jongdae’s breath hitches as Baekhyun’s fingers trail upwards, gentle, tracing out the curve of his lips and the line of his nose, the sweep of his cheekbones.

“Are you sure?” he asks. “It’s-- it’s a lot, giving yourself to someone like that, being so vulnerable. It’s a sort of intimacy you can’t understand until you have it.”

Baekhyun has never been so sure of anything in his life, his demon singing with joy. All he wants is Jongdae, every piece he can have. 

He sits up. “You’ve done this before.”  

Hesitantly, Jongdae nods. “When we broke it, it created a rift between us, something that will never be fixed. That’s why I had to be sure, Baekhyun.” Jongdae curls their fingers together. “Sure that I wanted this, that you would too. That you were here to stay.”

“I’ll never leave you,” Baekhyun says, and he knows it to be true. No matter what happens in the future, he’ll fight tooth and nail to find a way to return to Jongdae’s side. 

“I know that now,” Jongdae mumbles, cupping Baekhyun’s cheek. He leans into the touch. “So do you give yourself to me?”

Baekhyun pours everything that he is into his next kiss, giving Jongdae every piece. His fingertips dig into Baekhyun’s cheek, pulling him closer, other arm circling his waist to pull him tighter, as close as they can be. Baekhyun’s whole body burns with it, wanting Jongdae to be a part of him, _now_.

“Jongdae,” he whimpers, needing everything at once and having no idea how to voice it. Jongdae, as always, knows exactly what Baekhyun needs, smothering him with kisses as he lays him down gently.

“Is this okay?” he asks, Baekhyun nodding as his hands grip the back of Jongdae’s neck, pulling him for more kisses as he slots himself between Baekhyun’s thighs, grinding a little. 

“Don’t stop,” he breathes out, pulling Jongdae closer, rolling his hips up in rhythm. Jongdae pulls back only to pull his tunic up and over his head before dipping his fingers into the hem of Baekhyun’s to do the same, wiggling on the ground to have it pulled off. Jongdae dips down to kiss the pendant lying over Baekhyun’s heart, making his way up to his throat and teasing Baekhyun’s neck by grazing his teeth over his skin. 

Baekhyun just curls his fingers into Jongdae’s hair and pulls out the hairpin so that his curls fall around his face, tossing it gently to the side before tugging him back towards Baekhyun’s mouth, noses brushing. Jongdae shimmies off his leggings and Baekhyun does the same, kicking them away. Baekhyun will never get enough of Jongdae’s bare body, the flex of muscle and taut sun-kissed skin, their foreheads pressed together as they admire one another, laughing from vulnerability and amusement both. 

Jongdae leans to the side to pull out the vial of oil from his belt, and Baekhyun’s body thrums with anticipation, his hips rolling forward into nothing out of instinct, impatient for more. 

“You okay, beloved?” Jongdae asks against Baekhyun’s skin, hitching Baekhyun’s leg over his shoulder and kissing the inside of his knee. The endearment makes Baekhyun’s face bright red, his heart thumping in his ribcage. 

“Yes,” he answers, breathless. “Now hurry up.” 

“Impatient puppy,” Jongdae mutters, but pulls Baekhyun’s hips towards him all the same, pressing inside. Baekhyun’s spine arches at the feeling of Jongdae’s touch, forcing himself to relax so that the sensation remains in pleasure rather than pain. He moans when Jongdae’s fingers press into a certain spot, pressing his hips down for more. 

It’s torturous, wanting more but being unable to rush, pulling Jongdae in for hurried, wet kisses as Baekhyun fucks himself on Jongdae’s fingers, digging his nails into his shoulders. 

“So fucking tight,” Jongdae breathes out incredulously, pulling Baekhyun apart further as he grunts into the night air, blood burning.

“I’m ready,” Baekhyun urges. “Jongdae please, I need you, I--”

“Shhh love.” Jongdae satiates Baekhyun’s hunger with a kiss, if only for a moment. “I’ve got you.”

Feeling Jongdae so close, so warm, so wet, _inside_ , it’s like euphoria, Baekhyun’s hips immediately rolling to find a rhythm as Jongdae fucks into him with smooth, languid strokes, savouring their time together. Baekhyun could stay like this forever, Jongdae fucking him as he intertwines their fingers, leaning over to capture Baekhyun’s mouth in a kiss. He wants to stay suspended in this feeling for as long as he can, greedy to keep Jongdae as his.

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun recites. “ _Jongdae_.” 

“Baekhyun,” he returns, scraping his teeth over Baekhyun’s neck and making him moan in sensitivity, sensing Jongdae’s hunger in the press of his tongue and the bruising of his fingertips at Baekhyun’s hips. “ _Baekhyun_.”

“Take me,” Baekhyun urges. “Please.” His blood sings for it, his mouth watering, his demon more certain now than ever. He _needs_ to be connected to Jongdae, needs to feel him, needs to belong to Jongdae and Jongdae to him. 

Jongdae leans back onto his ankles, and pulls Baekhyun onto his lap so that he’s sitting on his cock, breath hitching at the new position and feeling. Jongdae licks his lips, looking up at Baekhyun in the moonlight with dark, hungry eyes and a sort of reverence Baekhyun can’t understand. He rolls his hips in tight circles to hear Jongdae’s sigh of pleasure, and lets Jongdae kiss him, feverish in its lust, filled with desire. 

Jongdae’s kisses trail Baekhyun’s cheek and his jaw, sucking a bruise beneath his ear before lowering just at the junction where Baekhyun’s shoulder and neck connect.  Kissing the skin with tenderness once, twice, Baekhyun only waiting with bated breath before Jongdae digs his fangs into his skin, making Baekhyun cry out. 

It hurts, it hurts _so_ much, burning from the point where Jongdae bites and spreading to the tips of Baekhyun’s toes and fingers, a consuming wildfire intent on turning him to ash. He can feel his magic pour down Jongdae’s throat as he drinks greedily, moaning against Baekhyun’s skin in pleasure as his hips fuck up against him, arms tightening around his waist.

Jongdae pulls back with a gasp of pleasure, rhythm stuttering as his head tips back, mouth covered in smeared blood. The wound on Baekhyun’s neck throbs, and his demon sings in hunger. Jongdae quickly tilts his head to the side and pushes Baekhyun’s mouth into it, finally able to dig his fangs in as hard as he can and _bite_ , intent on swallowing Jongdae whole.

The feeling consumes Baekhyun as soon as blood hits his tongue, moaning at the sensation as he swallows mouthful after mouthful. Jongdae’s magic buzzes inside him, burning him from the inside out, filling him to the brim. It’s different to the last time he’d had Jongdae’s blood, when they were wary of each other and hesitant, a simple exchange out of necessity. No, this is Jongdae giving Baekhyun _everything_ that he is, his powers, his feelings, his spirit itself, and Baekhyun can feel the parts of him inside Jongdae reaching out to the parts of Jongdae inside Baekhyun, flowing through their veins.

Mouths bloody, Baekhyun pulls back to kiss Jongdae, licking every drop off of one another, gasping and moaning into their mouths as their hips rock insistently, the blood connecting, the bond fulfilling itself. Jongdae is _everywhere_ , his cock, his mouth, his hands, his skin, his blood, all of it inside Baekhyun and wrapped around him, covering him, consuming him, conjoining them so Baekhyun can no longer tell where he ends and Jongdae begins. As the bond solidifies he _feels_ Jongdae’s everything, the pleasure he’s gaining from Baekhyun, the satisfaction he feels, the satiation of their joint hunger. Baekhyun’s demon sings for joy at the completeness, and he agrees, the feedback loop of pleasure too much to handle as Baekhyun’s entire being ascends past simple physical pleasure. He can feel Jongdae in his mind, in his heart, in his _blood_ , and all he can do is cry out nonsensically as he sucks his own blood off Jongdae’s tongue.

“Such a good boy,” Jongdae praises. “Feel so good. So good for me. I’m gonna come.” His hips fuck up into Baekhyun relentlessly. He didn’t have to say it, though, Baekhyun already knows, can feel Jongdae’s build up through the loop and how that surges his own on. “Can’t-- Can’t last when you’re so-- you feel so--”

“Come,” Baekhyun begs, his body wracked with a single dry sob as the pleasure overwhelms him. “Please come, fuck. Come inside me. Want to feel it, want to feel you. Want you to fill me like nobody else--”

Jongdae growls deep in his chest, possessive and hungry as he shoves Baekhyun back onto the ground, relentlessly fucking into him.

“No one but me,” Jongdae growls. 

“Only you,” Baekhyun repeats reverently, pulling Jongdae in for a kiss and moaning as Jongdae basically flattens himself on top of Baekhyun while pushing his thighs up, deeper and faster. “Only you, my Prince, my love, my heart.” 

“I love you,” Jongdae breathes out, and Baekhyun knows it, because he can feel it, ebbing through the connection between them, sinking into his blood. “I fucking love you, fuck, Baekhyun, I--”

Baekhyun kisses him to shut him up, and Jongdae moans into his mouth as he finishes, Baekhyun’s pleasure spiking at the feeling of Jongdae’s come, warm and wet inside him, Jongdae only fucking it into him with deep thrusts as his rhythm slows and stutters. Baekhyun sobs from the pleasure, of feeling Jongdae’s release through their bond while his own body remains high-strung and untouched. 

Jongdae’s response is immediate, pulling out and dipping down to lick over Baekhyun’s rim and fuck him with his tongue, come and oil and spit covering his lips as Baekhyun writhes and cries, his body burning as the pleasure overwhelms him, tears streaking down his cheeks. Jongdae pushes in his fingers alongside his tongue and it all grows to be too much, Baekhyun crying as he comes untouched, spilling over his own stomach as it pulses through him in waves.

He finally comes down from his high, shaking, and Jongdae tongues along his abdomen to clean up the mess before snaking forward to kiss Baekhyun, cupping his face with both hands, swiping away the remainders of tears with his thumbs, pulling back to kiss them away, tongue the tracks.

With the daze of pleasure buzzing out, Baekhyun can finally focus on this new found sensation inside him of Jongdae’s concern, his worry, his desperation to please Baekhyun, to take care of him.

“I’m okay,” Baekhyun reassures, voice weak as his fingers hook around Jongdae’s wrist, staring into his eyes. “I promise.”

Baekhyun closes his eyes and leaks the pure feeling of safety he gets from being in Jongdae’s arms into the connection, hearing Jongdae sigh and relax against him, comfort and joy and relief melting into their bond.

Tired and droopy, Jongdae presses his forehead against Baekhyun’s shoulder and inhales, dragging his fingers over the scars on Baekhyun’s forearms. 

“It’s so different, with you,” he begins, goosebumps raising on Baekhyun’s skin. It’s like he can feel Jongdae _feel_ him, a never ending cycle. “So much stronger. It’s incredible, Baekhyun. I think I’m already addicted to you.” He laughs, strained.

“Good.” Baekhyun pulls Jongdae’s face towards him, staring into those golden eyes he loves so much. “Because I feel the same.”

They kiss for a while more, soft and languid, careful to wind down from their magical high, letting the bond settle and still between them, stretching it out to test its elasticity and durability. It feels strong inside Baekhyun’s chest, reliable, addictive, like something to lean on when he’s weary. Their very essences are linked to one another, connected and conjoined, and it’s the best thing Baekhyun has ever felt. 

When they grow too exhausted to kiss they simply press their foreheads together and look into each other’s eyes, fingers dragging at every point of one another’s skin, like trying to find the seams of their souls and waiting for the bump of each stitch. There isn’t one, their bond is flawless and unmarred, powerful and unwavering. Baekhyun hardly sees the need to ever speak again when he can just sigh in contentment and feel Jongdae echo it back. 

Reluctantly, though, they drag each other to the water’s edge, wrapped up in one another as they bathe the filth away, stopping every other second to kiss and indulge in the comfort and warmth of their bond, basking in it. 

Finally clean and free, beneath the full moon Jongdae shifts, and Baekhyun joins him, letting their demons rub against one another, content. Jongdae’s panther form purrs, and Baekhyun throws his head forward to howl in joy, singing to the forest and announcing their bond to the world, the wind shaking through the trees to congratulate them. 

When he stops his song, Jongdae’s demon form is smiling, joy and love pulsing between them. He licks Baekhyun’s muzzle, once, twice, before beginning to groom him, and they collapse into a puddle of love and laughter as Baekhyun pretends to be reluctant, completely wrapped up in one another.

The forest’s song is barely a whisper.

 _This is temporary_ , it sings to Baekhyun, an eerie lullaby. _But you are ours forever._


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

The bond is a strange thing to get used to, this new, constant presence always sitting in Baekhyun’s head, his heart, a thing he can’t help but poke and prod at when he isn’t thinking, feeling Jongdae slap his invisible tendril from the other end and then smiling to himself. It’s unfamiliar, but it’s also instinctual --Baekhyun knows how to control which feelings are broadcasted like he knows how to breathe, careful to never overload Jongdae with sensations, simply letting the bond sit and exist, not a tool to be used, but a thing of reassurance. It represents their dedication, their connection, the way they complete one another --that in its own way, is enough.

Right now the bond is wide open, and Baekhyun feeds into it easily, absorbing Jongdae’s amusement and focus. He’d sat up in bed, and Jongdae had immediately swatted at his tail, now purring in deep concentration as he watches Baekhyun’s tail wag side to side, trying to catch it and failing. 

He does so successfully, then shouts, “A-ha!” while Baekhyun laughs at him, endlessly endeared. “Now I want my prize.” 

Jongdae crawls forward for a kiss over Baekhyun’s shoulder, who indulges of course, smiling into it. Baekhyun inhales and leans into the bond, bathing in Jongdae’s love and happiness and soaking it up, letting the light illuminate all the shadows away and fill out Baekhyun’s body to the tips of his fingers. He turns his body around to properly deepen the kiss, Jongdae sighing against his mouth. 

Baekhyun pulls away and stands, stretching, grabbing his bow and quiver since he’s meeting Kyungsoo and the others to hunt. The forest is still healing, so they’re planning on going beyond the immediate perimeter, deeper inside. 

“Do you have to go?” Jongdae whines, flopping back against the sleepskins and stretching languidly, showing his bare skin and making Baekhyun’s mouth water. His tail flicks absentmindedly. “Stay here with me. Be a bad puppy for once.”

“You know I can’t,” Baekhyun returns with amusement, laughing at Jongdae’s grumbled tone and the way his genuine disappointment leaks into the bond. All Jongdae ever wants to do is lie around and kiss and fuck, which Baekhyun relates to, but they do have their respective duties. “I’ll see you tonight?” He looks at Jongdae hopefully.

“Of course, I’m just here to warm the bed…” Jongdae mockingly sighs, and Baekhyun rolls his eyes as he walks out of the treehouse, pinching Jongdae’s smugness. Baekhyun spends more time in Jongdae’s bed than he does his own, which is why it’s good Jongdae is around to warm it.

Distance thins the bond, but its presence is still there, a constant for Baekhyun to lean against like a lucky charm in his pocket to curl his fingers around. He narrows it further so that Jongdae won’t have to filter through his emotions throughout the day, especially as he meets up with Kyungsoo and the others by the bridge.

“You’re late,” Kyungsoo says without even looking up from his own arm, where he pulls a feather out from the skin, slotting it into the arrow between his thighs to fletch it.

“And you’re disgusting,” Baekhyun retorts with a grimace. “ _Eugh_.”

“You’re just jealous.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, slipping the arrow back into his quiver. “Let’s go.”

Maybe defeating a demon bear together has made their usual hunting team closer than usual, but Baekhyun feels comfortable amongst them, laughing and joking around but always quick to turn serious as they near prey. It’s second nature to him now to shoot a nearby deer grazing down, leaping over to deal the killing blow while thanking it for its service and giving parts of it back to the forest in offering, without needing anyone’s help. 

As they collect their game to bring back to the village Kyungsoo says, “You should make it official.”

Baekhyun looks up, tilting his head. “Make what official?” he asks, rubbing his hand self-consciously over the bite scar on his neck.

“Your duty to the village as a hunter,” Kyungsoo clarifies. Baekhyun’s ears perk up. 

“And maybe the demonslayer thing too,” Seulgi adds amusedly. “Your skin looks so strange bare.” 

“...Is it official?” Baekhyun questions, timid but hopeful.

Kyungsoo scoffs. “Obviously.” Baekhyun’s tail begins to wag. 

He doesn’t know what to get, though the thought is always on his mind. He even talks to Jongdae about it that night, asking about all the traditional symbols of Hel.

“Well, usually a tiefling gets a moon tattoo when they come of age to shift,” he muses. “But I guess you’re past that.” 

“Seulgi said I should relate it to the demon,” Baekhyun says, frowning.

“But…?”

“But… although I honour its death, I don’t want to carry it. I carried the lives I had stolen with me for a long time. I want to practice letting go and moving forward.”

Jongdae’s expression turns thoughtful, and he straddles Baekhyun’s lap, kissing his forehead. He pulls off his circlet, tossing it to the side, ripping out the hair pin and placing it on top. 

“Tell me about your tattoos,” Baekhyun implores, kissing the rings over Jongdae’s chest.

“Well, that I got when I came of age.” Baekhyun’s kisses the lines over his collarbones. “That’s when I first hunted.” His fingers trail over the inside of Jongdae’s wrist, coiled by a giant snake wrapped around his arm. “That was for my father’s funeral.” Baekhyun kisses Jongdae’s wrist before trailing up to his bicep, where geometric bands are looped around his arm. “Those are just decorative.”

It’s incredible, how many tattoos Jongdae has, what they all mean. Some on top of scars or broken by scars he’s gotten hunting or tripping over or falling out of trees. A tattoo for his first pilgrimage, a tattoo for his brother’s coronation, a tattoo for each of his family members, for each of his friends. They all represent something different to him, a different point in his life or a different meaning, significance of the moment when he’d gotten it rather than the design, and Baekhyun kisses each and every one, tracing them all out with his tongue and teeth.

The bond burns with pleasure.

  
  
  


Baekhyun doesn’t like needles, but he lets Yixing poke him with one all the same, deciding to cover up the King’s brand over his heart. It will make the final design a little uneven, but it should work all the same. 

Jongdae holds his hand through the continuous poking assault of the bamboo needle through his skin, laughing every time Baekhyun grimaces and calling him a brave puppy. He gets a sun on the centre of his chest overshadowed by a moon, then gets an arrow surrounded by geometric markings down the side of his arm, the symbol of a hunter. Baekhyun doesn’t dare touch the skin afterwards, too cautious, but he does keep staring at it, marvelling at its permanence on his skin, and what that means. There’s truly no turning back.

“Sooooo….” Jongdae starts with nonchalance. “I was thinking.”

“Mhmm,” Baekhyun hums as they walk back to Jongdae’s treehouse through the village, admiring the golden sun casting a halo around Jongdae’s face, and the pale bite mark scar over his neck. 

“Well, _I_ wasn’t thinking but Jongdeok was--”

“M _hmm_.”

Jongdae licks his lips, fidgeting nervously. “He uh, saw the bite mark and. Invited you to have dinner with us?” 

Baekhyun blinks.

“You don’t have to,” Jongdae continues, tail flicking anxiously, stiff. “But it would mean a lot to me if you got to know them and I just think since we’re bonded--”

“Of course I’ll come,” Baekhyun says, smiling as he reaches out to squeeze Jongdae’s wrist. “But… your mother does hate me.”

“She’ll be on her best behaviour, promise.” Jongdae leans forward to press their foreheads together. “Thank you, Baekhyun.” 

Baekhyun lets his dedication leak into the bond, feeling Jongdae's love echo back. Anything for his Prince.

  
  
  
  


Promises are easy to make, but keeping them is a little harder, Baekhyun fidgeting in Jongdae's room nervously, wondering if it's too late to run away.

Jongdae can obviously sense his nerves --either through the bond or because he has eyes-- reaching out to place his hand on the back of Baekhyun's neck, grounding him.

"You'll be okay," he reassures. "You're a tiefling of Hel, Baekhyun. A hunter warrior. A demonslayer." His hand shifts to cup Baekhyun's cheek. "And a good puppy. My family will learn to love you just as I did." Jongdae pauses. "Well. Hopefully not in the same way."

That makes Baekhyun relax, laughing under his breath. Chanyeol had insisted upon offering to make him nicer, formal leathers to wear in the presence of royals --to which Junmyeon had retorted Baekhyun spends most of his time with royalty naked, turning Baekhyun red. They sit against his skin now, no sleeves and a deeper v-neck, showing off his hunter's tattoo, his scar, the hint of the eclipse on his chest. He put beads and brighter feathers in the braids on his hair, and wears all of Jongdae's courting jewelry --which he constantly adjusts. He feels like a wolf in sheep's clothing --literally-- and the King and Queen will see right through him.

Jongdae nudges Baekhyun through the bond. "Stop worrying," he chastises. "C'mon."

The Blood Tree court is turned into a dining room, like it had been after the bear's defeat. The warm spring air is sweet and drifts through the hall as the starnights ruffle in the breeze, the King and Queen talking in low voices, the table in front of them empty save for a teapot on a small burner.

"There you are," the King says. "Punctual as always, Jongdae."

"Well I don't wake up looking this good," Jongdae retorts, but Baekhyun would disagree. Jongdae _always_ looks beautiful, even when he's just woken up, but this --an open leather vest, Baekhyun's jewelry decorating his skin, hair tied up in a loose top knot with the pin, eyes lined with kohl-- _this_ , is certainly heart-squeezing. "Should we start?"

The King waves his hand, and attendants file in from outside, carrying many dishes in wooden bowls and plates on trays to spread out on the short table that Baekhyun kneels by, sitting at the end opposite to the King, Jongdae to his left. As the youngest, Jongdae leans forward to pour the tea in successive rounds, certain that each cup gets different portions of the water. 

They talk of affairs for the village, the upcoming spring races and what the prize should be, reports from the shamans about the forest's healing, trivial talk of the warm weather, the absence of snow, long since melted. Baekhyun mostly stays silent, listening attentively but indulging more in the food than the conversation. Each royal is so aware of the different happenings in the village, Jongdae arguing with his mother about someone's daughter bound to come of age and shift either this full moon or the next. 

"It's the blood moon!" Jongdae argues, and the sudden reminder sends fear piercing through Baekhyun's heart. "Of course she'll shift, her magic will be strengthened."

Baekhyun is quick to seal himself off from the bond, but he'd been a second too late, because Jongdae's hand finds Baekhyun's beneath the table and squeezes. He misinterprets Baekhyun's panic to be a byproduct of the situation, and not for the reminder of the timer above his head.

Baekhyun's food turns tasteless in his mouth, no longer appealing. 

Jongdeok notes Jongdae moving, and sighs. "I'm sorry, we've been neglecting our guest with talk of the village."

"It's fine." Baekhyun shakes his head. "It's important to discuss, and interesting to hear."

Jongdeok's lips twitch like the answer is amusing before smoothing back into politeness. 

“I’m glad you think so, since bonding with my brother means you’ll be involved in royal affairs more.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen. 

“ _No,_ it doesn’t,” Jongdae is quick to interject. 

“It should,” his mother adds behind her tea cup. “Or do you dishonour the tradition of a bond?” 

Jongdae rolls his eyes, groaning. “Of _course_ not. I just don’t see why Baekhyun has to be dragged into all this just because we chose each other. It’s not like I’m out there being a hunter.” 

“That’s different,” the Queen says, her tone snipped. “You’re a Prince, Jongdae, with many more duties than a hunter. The bonded of royals are meant to be their better halves, their support system, the way I was to your father.”

“But I’m not King!” Jongdae argues. “And I’m never going to be! I don’t need a Prince consort because I’m not ruling anything!!”

“We govern Hel together,” his mother snaps. “Which is exactly why I never wanted you seeing this wolf to begin with. You needed someone who would _understand_ their place by your side, their duty, the significance of a bond and becoming entwined--”

“I’m sorry--” Jongdae laughs bitterly, cutting his mother off-- “I wasn’t aware our bond was a public affair.”

Baekhyun shifts in place, guilty, but he can feel Jongdae’s simmering anger between them, reaching out with a tendril of his mind to brush against it with soft caresses. He watches Jongdae visibly relax beside him, squeezing Baekhyun’s hand under the table. 

“You’re a part of this family, Jongdae, and now you’ve brought _him_ into it too,” his mother says coldly. “A bond isn’t something you can just do on a whim and expect there to be no consequences.” Jongdae’s anger flares up again. “You should have gotten entwined first, as is tradition.”

“This is why I let my romantic life die, by the way,” Jongdeok jokes, aimed more at Baekhyun, obviously used to his brother and mother bickering. “Bonds used to just be about making up for your mistakes when you get a girl pregnant, now there’s all this duty attached.”

Jongdae laughs at that, their mother rolling her eyes. Baekhyun smiles, admiring how easily Jongdeok had smoothed over the atmosphere, ending the argument before it could get any messier.

“What do you think of the spring races, Baekhyun?” he continues. “Will you participate?”

“They’re held… after the blood moon, right?” Jongdae nods, and guilt takes ahold of Baekhyun once again. He blocks it from leaking into the bond. “Then no, I don’t think I will.” 

Jongdeok continues keeping the conversation on Baekhyun, making him feel like he’s being quizzed or examined. Jongdeok asks him about how hunting is going, his lessons with the shamans, and as tea turns to juniper wine he begins to ask more pressing questions, like how he feels about Hel, what it’s like to forsake your own gods.

“And I think that’s enough for you,” Jongdae slurs a little, reaching over the table to clumsily pull the wooden cup from his brother’s fingers, sipping from it himself and giggling.

“You would drink a whole river and still be thirsty,” the King jokes, his face red. “I’m just curious, is all. How _does_ Hel compare to Greykeep?”

“Since when do you care?” Jongdae butts in before Baekhyun has even opened his mouth, the atmosphere quickly turning icey. “You pretend Greykeep doesn’t exist until it can boost your ego about how much _better_ Hel is.”

“That’s not true,” Jongdeok retorts, stern.

“Isn’t it? I’ve told you time and time again that our people are left there, suffering, and you do _nothing_ , not even acknowledging them as our brethren.”

“They are our people,” Jongdeok argues. “But we don’t have the resources to spare on rescue missions for those who cannot be saved. We can barely protect the forest from the Greykeep King’s loggers and his wolves, how do you expect us to fair on his territory itself?” 

“So we should sit around and do nothing instead?”

Jongdeok sighs. “Jongdae, it’s not that simple.”

“It _is_ that simple, you’re their King--”

“No I’m not!” he snaps. “The world they know _has_ a King, and I cannot rip them from their homes and force them into ours simply because I think it’s best for them. Hel’s doors are always open to those who seek it--”

Jongdae laughs in incredulous disbelief. “How can you say that when Baekhyun came seeking refuge and wasn’t given a place here for moons!”

Jongdeok clenches his jaw. “That was different.” 

“You’re a coward,” Jongdae spits.

“And you’re naive,” Jongdeok hisses back. “You don’t know what it’s like to be King, you’ve run away from your duties your whole life. If you want to change things so badly then start acting like a Prince, rather than a child wanting everyone else to clean up your messes for you.”

Baekhyun can feel Jongdae’s heart break inside him, watching him stand and storm away from the table, reaching out to follow but the Queen is quicker, chasing after her son, calling his name. Baekhyun just withers, dejected, feeling the way Jongdae seals the bond shut, blocking him out. 

“My mother was right,” Jongdeok states, turning to Baekhyun coolly as if he hadn’t just made his own brother leave out of humiliation. The stoic professionalism is chilling. “When she said that you have a duty to my brother as his bonded. Jongdae is a hopeless romantic, which is why I expect _you_ to ground him.”

“Jongdae isn’t as naive as you think,” Baekhyun replies, straightening. “His ambitions aren’t daydreams. He’s as fine a Prince as you are King.”

Jongdeok huffs a dry, self-deprecating laugh, devoid of any humour. “You’re both fools.”

“Maybe so,” Baekhyun agrees, standing. “But you said you trusted Jongdae. If you did, you’d learn to listen to what he says.”

He leaves the court at that then, nodding at Jongdeok out of forced politeness before opening the bond and trying to sense Jongdae. It’s no use, Jongdae doesn’t let him in, locking him out, which means there’s only one place to find him. 

Jongdae is kneeling by the water’s edge in their grove, staring at his own reflection then growling in frustration and swiping his hand through it.

“Don’t try to comfort me,” Jongdae says without turning around. “Mother already tried and failed.” 

Baekhyun says nothing, sitting beside Jongdae in silence instead, waiting. He knows Jongdae, knows how stubborn he is, how single-minded he can be. Sometimes it just takes patience and he’ll melt.

Baekhyun lets his love and reassurance curl through the bond, and piece by piece Jongdae relaxes, his end opening up and letting Baekhyun in so that he can feel his dejection, his shame, his humiliation. His pride feels bruised and he’s embarrassed by the fact, but Baekhyun only wraps himself around it, as comforting as he can be. 

“I’m not as stupid as they think,” Jongdae finally says, gaze fixed to the ground and fists clenched in his lap. “Jongdeok thinks I’m a child and my mother treats me like one I’m not-- I _know_ what Greykeep is like, I went there, they’ve never seen it, how can they try to tell me--” he cuts off, curling in on himself. “I’m not useless. It’s just… sometimes I feel like there’s so much wrong I have no idea where to even begin trying to help.” 

“But you already have,” Baekhyun points out, curling his hand over Jongdae’s and feeling him loosen. “You saved me, didn’t you? Even if I’m only one out of thousands, I’m still a start. You changed me for the better.”

Jongdae laughs quietly, relenting, and turns to kiss Baekhyun, slow and chaste. 

“You’re more than a start to me,” Jongdae mumbles, and kisses him again, toe curling.

“Yes, well,” Baekhyun mumbles between kisses, “try not to change everyone else’s life to the same extent.”

Jongdae laughs and pulls back, smiling at Baekhyun with an amount of love in his eyes and in the bond that Baekhyun can’t even fathom. 

“I hope it wasn’t too much, tonight,” Jongdae says, softening. “What they said… I never expected anything of you, Baekhyun. The bond wasn’t some trick--”

“I know,” Baekhyun interjects. “But… I want to help you. Whenever you need me, _however_ you need me. I gave myself to you for a reason.”

A spike of affection and overwhelming love surges up through the bond, and Baekhyun bathes in it, reigning back his own guilt and disguising it carefully. 

“I have pictured it,” Jongdae admits.

“Pictured what?”

“You and me, ruling together.” Jongdae interlaces their fingers, swinging their hands. “Finding some… miracle way to save the tieflings in Greykeep, in between travelling beyond the forest, having _incredible_ sex--” Baekhyun laughs-- “and maybe… getting entwined the old fashioned way, just the two of us, to celebrate our bond.” Jongdae shifts closer. “Growing old together but still making jewellery and kissing like it’s the first time, raising kids…” 

“Kids?” Baekhyun asks, eyebrows raised. “And where are we going to find those? Don’t tell me you’re pregnant.”

Jongdae snorts. “Maybe there are children already out there, waiting for us to give them a home.”

“You’ve really thought about this.” Baekhyun feels his heart squeeze in his chest. Jongdae talks about their future together as if it’s an inevitability, and Baekhyun is beginning to believe him.

“Of course.” Jongdae laughs. “Don’t you?”

Baekhyun never gave himself the false hope. The blood moon is only a few weeks away, and this -- _all_ of this-- we’ll be taken from his fingers by his own design.

“Let’s go back,” Baekhyun proposes, standing, sealing Jongdae off from the bond and sensing his confusion prodding against the block. “It’s late.”

“Oh.” Jongdae looks disappointed. “Okay…” He stands, uncertain, so Baekhyun outstretches his hand, trying to communicate that it’s _okay_ to Jongdae but not knowing how to when he feels anything but. All of this, every moment, every kiss… soon they’ll just become bittersweet memories to Baekhyun, things he should have never let himself have but was too greedy to turn down, wanting to take Jongdae even for just a split second.

Baekhyun leads the way home, and Jongdae follows behind. The bite mark at his neck burns. 

  
  
  
  


The new moon pilgrimage arrives sooner than Baekhyun could care for. It's a special event, after all, before the blood moon, meaning Baekhyun's time to make a decision is running out.

He can't forsake Hel, but the price of Baekbeom's life is too great to pay --so which does he choose? 

Baekhyun has killed wildlings before, what difference will the King's blood make amongst all the rest?

But, _no,_ Baekhyun threw that part of him away long ago --but he never threw away his brother. Never could.

"I don't want to go," Jongdae whines, wriggling in bed and curling closer to Baekhyun, whose heart squeezes in his chest, Jongdae nosing at the nape of his neck. "Do me a favour and kidnap me?"

"As much as I'd love to--" Baekhyun runs his fingers through Jongdae's hair, brushing over his soft ears, to hear him purr-- "Duty calls." 

Baekhyun pulls his hands back, Jongdae letting out a quiet noise of discontent. 

"Fine." He sighs, rolling out of bed to reach for his hair pin, holding it out expectantly. Baekhyun takes it, combing through Jongdae's curls with his fingers before twisting them up, pinning it in place.

Jongdae preens happily, and Baekhyun presses a gentle kiss to the back of his neck, inhaling.

"I'm going to miss you." 

“I’d hope so, I am incredible.” Jongdae’s hand reaches behind to lace his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair, laughing softly before kissing him. “I promise to come back in one piece.”

“You better.” Jongdae stands, and Baekhyun watches him go, his hands lingering as long as possible before falling back to his sides. A deep sadness wells up inside him, and Jongdae prods at it through the bond, confused. Baekhyun just seals it shut. 

The village is gathered as per usual to see off their King, but Baekhyun as Jongdae’s bonded is to stand by the Queen’s side at the Blood Tree, the very start of their journey. He’s unused to being so involved even in the small things such as this, watching them lay out their tools and equipment and rations for the journey, making sure everything is in place. Baekhyun feels useless, dodging out of the way as Jongdae ferries items back and forth, shouting at his brother and the shamans about what they’re taking.

“Got everything?” the Queen finally asks.

“Think so.” Jongdae slings an arm around Baekhyun’s waist. “Wish I had more room in my pack though.”

Baekhyun scowls and pushes Jongdae off of him, face warm, while Jongdae just laughs.

“Maybe next time,” Jongdeok says, startling them both. “If he’s going to be a part of this family, then that means sharing the family duty.”

Baekhyun is speechless. “You’d let me see the Forest’s Heart? But I’m a wolf.”

“You’re a tiefling,” Jongdeok corrects. “And Jongdae chose you for a reason I’m beginning to understand.”

Baekhyun’s ears perk up as his tail wags a little, but any response further is cut off by the shamans hurrying Jongdae and his brother onwards, saying they’re already late. Jongdae barely manages much more than a kiss on Baekhyun’s cheek and an apologetic smile before he picks up his pack and begins his march onwards.

“We’re holding the fort,” the Queen chastises. “Don’t look so wistful. It’s unbecoming for the family.”

 _Family_. It feels like a word Baekhyun hasn’t heard for years, a word he can’t even remember the meaning of, yet here it is sitting in front of him once again, a punishment and a prize. Baekhyun already has a family, waiting for him just two short weeks away, but now there’s another right in front of him, and he no longer knows on which one his allegiances lie. 

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun has yet to experience the bond over such a great distance, and he’s understanding why Jongdae had wanted him on the journey. It’s like there’s a hole in his heart growing greater by the day, a void so deep Baekhyun can’t help but be distracted by it, yet every now and then the signal grows a little sharper, Baekhyun can feel Jongdae’s love for him radiate through, and everything is okay in the world.

Until he remembers the blood moon, that is. 

Naively, Baekhyun just keeps hoping that maybe King Minseok somehow miraculously forgot about him, forgot to march his armies into the forest. Or maybe Baekbeom escaped, and is safe… somewhere, searching for Baekhyun. Maybe he doesn’t have to make a choice he fears he cannot make, maybe…

Maybe Baekhyun has become a fool, drunk on the falsities given to him in Hel. His time is running out, but the reminder does nothing to quash his panic.

Of course, he can’t let it show, so he’s forced into his usual duties while he feels himself breaking apart, thankful for the weakness of the bond so Jongdae can’t sense it, keeping it sealed shut just in case so that any lingering emotions don’t leak out. 

“Baekhyun, focus,” Kyungsoo scolds, pulling him from his thoughts. “We’re not here to daydream.”

“Sorry,” Baekhyun apologises, insincere, trying to drag his mind back to the task at hand, rather than his imminent breakdown. “The forest is healing well, I don’t know how much more surveying we could possibly do.”

“Is that what you see?” Kyungsoo asks. “Or is that what it’s telling you?”

Baekhyun swallows. “Both.” It’s strange, the way the song has shifted, always calling at him to join it but… softer, now, like with Jongdae’s blood inside him the forest’s grip is weaker. It still sings to him, but it’s more like before, as if Jongdae’s magic has given him the leeway over it he’d been lacking. It feels _normal_ , which only adds to the ominous sensation in Baekhyun’s gut. 

Regardless, its sweet song is one of growth and a full stomach, fully healed. Magic ensures the trees have already come back to life, their leaves beginning to bud, and animals have begun to inhabit the area the bear once dominated. Still, the scarring is there, in the broken trunks and patches of dead earth --the spaces have been repopulated by a different demographic, the forest born anew. 

“Here,” Kyungsoo calls, stepping forward and pulling back some nearby shrubbery to reveal the scuffling mark of some deer antlers against a tree trunk, the sap still fresh as he drags his fingers through it. His lips purse. “This isn’t good.”

“But that’s from deer.” Baekhyun tilts his head. “Isn’t is a good thing that they’re moving in?”

“Not so close to the village it isn’t,” Kyungsoo says, beginning to track. “The bear upset the balance in cascades, now it’s changing things.”

“And now we don’t have to wander so far to hunt,” Baekhyun counters, amused. “How is that--” 

He bumps into Kyungsoo’s arm, outstretched to stop him, and immediately falls silent at the sight of a deer carcass, rotting in the sun. It’s meat is stripped bare, ravaged and torn, but not by tieflings.

“That’s why,” Kyungsoo says, deeming the coast clear and stepping closer. There are several tracks spread out around the body, tracks Baekhyun doesn’t recognise. “When the bear reset the balance power shifted to fill its space. Deer moved in to the new niche, and it brought with it what hunts it.”

Baekhyun inhales. “Wolves.” 

“And not the kind you’re used to dealing with.” 

It’s chilling, examining the body, the clean tear of meat from bone and the blood splattered around it. Wolves of the black forest aren’t anything like tiefling shifters, made of shadow itself and slipping between morning and night, three glowing eyes, horns, fangs that drip blood --or so Baekhyun has been told, but he’s never seen one. To see a black wolf and live is considered a good omen, and looking at the remains of their prey, Baekhyun can see why. Still, he can’t help but notice the way his gut twists, and how that ominous feeling grows larger. 

They take their report back with them to the Queen and the shamans --black wolves aren’t a corrupted threat, but to hunt on their territory is messing with deep magics even the shamans hesitate to speak of. Baekhyun is confused. 

“Could we not kill them like we did the bear, if the threat grows too large?”

The silence of the room is piercing.

“Never, _ever_ do we kill hunters, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says sternly. “Not unless it’s absolutely necessary. Black wolves are keepers of the balance just like us. To kill them is to hunt our allies, to threaten the forest, the balance of life itself.”

“Okay, I get it,” Baekhyun snaps, shoulders hunched defensively.

“I don’t think you do,” the Queen interjects. “If this wolf pack has already set up its territory then we must be more careful than ever not to disrupt it. It’s important you find their boundaries, and make sure that area isn’t crossed by any of our people.”

“Of course, your majesty.” Kyungsoo bows over, obedient. Baekhyun follows suit, gritting his teeth. 

Frustrated, Baekhyun snaps at Junmyeon that he’s going for a walk before Junmyeon can even open his mouth the whole way, rushing into the forest. His pride still stings from earlier, but that’s all a side effect of Baekhyun’s already shaky mental state, he knows. He’s pulled apart into two halves, and it’s making him lose his edge. His footing keeps slipping into the water beneath him, and sooner or later Baekhyun is going to drown.

His walking is aimless, listening to the forest’s music to try and muffle his thoughts. It’s no use. He’s angry and sad and hopeless all at once and all he wants is to fall into Jongdae’s arms and try and forget about it all if only for a moment, but even that’s impossible too.

Thoughts of Jongdae just make Baekhyun nauseous. Baekhyun has lied to him for _months_ , how can he ever stand to reveal the truth? How will Jongdae accept it?

Something loud enough to smother his thoughts comes in the form of wolf song, a chorus of powerful howls, hauntingly beautiful and ominous both. It makes him startling aware that he’s crossed over to where the deer was found earlier, and where the black wolves most likely hunt. 

“Shit.” Baekhyun scrambles to turn around and get out of their territory, but then another wolf song follows, and this one, he knows, doesn’t belong to black wolves. 

Baekhyun _sprints,_ following the sound despite how little it lasts, pushing long out of of the territories of Hel and deeper into the forest, where the magic thins and the sites grow unfamiliar. The lone wolf howling continues, guiding Baekhyun, singing for him to come closer, all until Baekhyun finally comes face to face with Sehun cupping his mouth, howling into the wind.

Baekhyun’s heart shatters.

“I knew you’d find me.” Sehun grins, double-stepping over to Baekhyun and crushing him in a hug. “You’re alive.”

Baekhyun pushes him off, and anger boils in him like a flash flood, relentless and unforgiving. Something that had been suppressed so deep inside him now bursting through the surface. “You betrayed me.”

Sehun’s tail droops. “I didn’t know,” he defends, looking pathetic, “that you knew about Jongdae. By the time I realised you did it was too late. I thought you were being tricked, not betraying us.”

It’s only been months, but Sehun already seems taller, broader, more filled out, grown into his skin as a wolf, but he still hasn’t killed a wildling. He doesn’t smell of blood. 

“”Betraying us’,” Baekhyun quotes, scoffing. 

“I wouldn’t have told them about Jongdae if I knew, Baekhyun, please, I never wanted you or your brother to get in trouble--” 

“Baekbeom?” Baekhyun asks, and all his anger fades away into nothing but sadness and desperation, that same, hopeless feeling again. “How is he-- is he--”

“Fine,” Sehun answers, and relief has Baekhyun closing his eyes. It washes over him, months spent wondering and hoping finally letting his heart be at ease. “Safe. Imprisoned, but not punished. The King asked me to tell you that personally.”

What momentary reprieve Baekhyun had had disappears, an icy reminder of why Sehun is in front of him.

“What’re you doing here?” Baekhyun snaps. 

Sehun looks affronted by Baekhyun’s abrupt mood change. “I’m scouting ahead,” Sehun says, sticking his chin out. “ _And_ looking for you. We don’t really know where Hel is, you know--”

“You could’ve been caught,” Baekhyun hisses. “What then?”

“Then… you could’ve saved me,” Sehun says. “I mean… wow, you really took learning the wildling’s ways to heart, huh--” his fingers brush over the braids beneath Baekhyun’s ear. He slaps his hand back.

“Don’t touch me,” he growls. Sehun’s tail tucks between his legs. 

“You’ve become one of them, haven’t you?” Sehun tries, looking saddened and disappointed and hurt all at once. “You’re a wildling now.”

“Tiefling,” Baekhyun corrects. “So what?”

“So what? _So what_?” Sehun laughs in disbelief, slightly hysterical. “You’ve… forsaken your home, your family, your friends, your gods-- for what? Demon magic and sin?” 

“Not everything is so black and white, Sehun,” Baekhyun shouts. “Maybe we’re not the bad guys.”

“‘We’.... So that’s it, then? You’ll kill me as your mortal enemy and leave your brother to rot as he pays for your sins?”

“ _No_ ,” Baekhyun interjects. “No, that’s… I would never hurt you, Sehun. I-- I would never leave Baekbeom.”

“So there’s still hope for you to come home?” Sehun tries, ears perking up. “You’re still in there, past all the deceitful... decorations and sin--”

He reaches out, but Baekhyun only steps back, searching Sehun’s face, unsure of what to say. The Baekhyun of Greykeep… he died long ago, but now Sehun is pulling the bones from his grave, refusing to let him rest, and it makes Baekhyun sick.

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun admits, and he breaks. “I-- I don’t know.” 

His body shakes, unsure of how to handle this visceral reaction of who he was -- _is_ \-- the choice he has to make. Sehun’s face just falls, smoothing into a mask of indifference.

“Here,” he says, clipped, pulling something out of the pack at his back and handing it to Baekhyun, unwrapping the Greykeep silk carefully. It’s a silver dagger. “The King told me to find you, and give you this.”

For the King. For _Jongdeok_. 

“...And what if I can’t?” Baekhyun croaks out, voice as pathetic and meek as he feels. “Hel is my home, Sehun.”  

“Greykeep is your home,” Sehun says, sympathetic as he places a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “And I pray the gods help you right your path soon enough. Baekbeom is waiting for you to come home.”

Sehun pulls his hand back, and  turns around to leave, pausing, briefly, as if expecting Baekhyun to stop him.

He doesn’t.

  
  
  
  


The pilgrims return at dawn, Baekhyun waiting right by the Queen's side. Where he'd watched them leave, he'll now see them return. The silver dagger pressed against the small of his back burns, a constant reminder.

He feels Jongdae before he sees him, their bond strengthening and his excitement to reunite bright and relentless. As he marches into view, he grins at Baekhyun. Baekhyun struggles to return it, but refuses to let Jongdae sense his dread.

He jumps into Baekhyun's arms, who stumbles with the sudden weight, spinning Jongdae around before putting him down, hands on his hips.

"That was _so_ much harder with the bond," Jongdae says.

Baekhyun gives a small smile. "Agreed--" He lets out a muffled squeak as Jongdae tugs at the front of his tunic for a kiss, right in front of the whole village. Relief fills the space in his heart that Jongdae had taken with him.

"Alright hurry up," Jongdeok scolds, pulling Jongdae's tail so he yelps. "We need to unpack."

"Fine," Jongdae grumbles, nursing his tail in his hands, Baekhyun's ring wrapped around it. He turns to Baekhyun, hopeful. "Find me later?"

"Of course." Baekhyun musters up a smile, watching as Jongdae double-steps to join the shamans. 

"Baekhyun," Jongdeok says, gesturing. "Come. I want your help with something."

Baekhyun blinks in surprise before scrambling to follow, Jongdeok shouldering his pack and leading them into the Blood Tree court, the great hall empty. Jongdeok takes off his pack, and pulls out a carefully leather-wrapped bundle. He unrolls it along the floor, revealing small totems and idols Baekhyun knows are used for contacting spirits.

"Lay that out for me, would you? Just over there."

Baekhyun does as he's told, spreading out the leather so that it's where Jongdeok had gestured, facing the Blood Tree in the centre of the court. Jongdeok kneels on it. 

"Pass me those, one at a time-- yes that's it."

Baekhyun watches as he hands Jongdeok each of the carved trinkets, setting each one in place carefully before gesturing for another. It's a slow, careful, tedious process that makes Baekhyun anxious, antsy as he handles sacred relics that are obviously centuries old.

"Jongdae and I spoke a lot on our journey," Jongdeok starts. "Or I suppose I should say argued." He chuckles. 

"About what?"

"Lots of things, as siblings do. Didn't you and your brother ever fight?"

The silver at Baekhyun's back digs into his skin.

"Sometimes.” He swallows, wondering if Baekbeom hates him now, after everything he’s done. “We’re not so close in age, so we had less to clash over."

"I see." Jongdeok smiles to himself, gesturing for the last totem. "Well, I suppose being King doesn't help. Jongdae has very different ideas of how things here should be done, and meeting you only made those ideals stronger."

Baekhyun winces, stepping back. His hand slips beneath his tunic, feeling for his silver dagger. This is his moment, gifted to him by the gods themselves, the King alone and vulnerable, unknowing-- "...Sorry."

"For what? Fate?" Jongdeok gives Baekhyun an amused look, his fingers tightening around the dagger. "I'll admit, I was wary you when you arrived, as everyone was, but... I finally trusted in Jongdae to finally tell me the truth, about you, about Greykeep, and I’m beginning to understand more about why my brother speaks of you so highly.

“Of course we’re busy with preparations for the blood moon--” the reminder is a stab through Baekhyun’s gut-- “but perhaps… after the festivities, you would be open to sitting down with me and telling me more about Greykeep, about your life… This war between the tieflings of Hel and humans of Greykeep has gone on for far too long, and I may not be the King who will end it, but I would at least like to be the one who tried.”

Baekhyun exhales slowly, his chest full as Jongdeok looks at him with determination. He, like Jongdae, is kind to his core, and he doesn’t want people to suffer unnecessarily --he is a good King, to his family, to his people, to all of Hel. 

Baekhyun’s grip goes white-knuckled.

“I would be honoured to help you,” he says, bowing over, even though he doesn’t think he’ll ever get the chance. 

“I’m glad.” Jongdeok gives him a warm, relieved smile, golden eyes curved. “I used to think becoming King was a burden, when I was still Crown Prince, because to me it seemed like the loneliest place to be in the world.” His eyes soften as his gaze wanders, expression distant. 

“But you have your mother,” Baekhyun points out. “Jongdae, your people.”

“I know that now,” Jongdeok says, laughing. “And I was lucky enough to be given a second brother to help too.”

It wells up in Baekhyun’s chest, crawling up his throat, threatening to pour out his mouth, this flood of feeling and gratefulness, the sheer fact that he could never, _ever_ deserve such kindness, not in this life or any of the ones after it.  

Baekhyun can’t do it. 

His shoulders slump, hands falling back to his side, and a deep sorrow wells inside him --not because he _didn’t_ do it, but that he even dared to entertain the thought for a second. 

“I want to help this family in anyway that I can,” Baekhyun says, bowing over. “I want to protect Hel.”

“I know that now, too.” Jongdeok smiles. “Go find Jongdae,” he urges. “I must complete the pilgrim’s final prayers alone.”

Baekhyun rises, nodding, and practically flees the Blood Tree court, disgusted with himself and what he’s become. In a split second decision, he kneels by the Blood Tree’s roots and pulls the dagger out of his back, burying it hastily, glancing around to make sure nobody has seen. He can’t kill Jongdeok --he can’t kill _anyone_. He would never hurt the lives of so many, and he would never spill blood again, not even for Baekbeom.

Baekhyun sobs, shaking, as he pats the earth down, desperate to remove any trace of it having been disturbed. He can’t take another life, but in doing so he inevitably takes one anyway. It’s not Baekbeom who should be punished for all this, it’s _Baekhyun_ , and all he has left is to naively hope that there might still be some way to save Baekbeom before it’s too late.

But that’s all it is. Naive hope.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun whispers to no one as he smooths over the soil until it’s seamless, brushing the tears from his eyes with dirtied hands. “I’m sorry.”

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun doesn’t seek out Jongdae, but Jongdae finds him anyway, at dusk as the sun is setting over the horizon, hiding out in their grove. He’s tried to keep his bond as sealed shut as possible, but even then he’s worried his sadness and lost hope leaks out all around it. Baekhyun is filled with nothing but regret and misery, and Jongdae doesn’t deserve to be burdened with that.

“Hey,” he says, concerned. “Are you okay? You didn’t meet me after and you’ve been shut off all day.”

“I’m fine,” Baekhyun lies, not needing Jongdae to see his hopelessness. “Just…” He trails off.

“Did Jongdeok overwhelm you? I know he wanted to talk to you.” Jongdae touches Baekhyun’s cheek, examining his face. “Have you been crying?”

Baekhyun should tell him, he realises, should come clean of his sins here and now before this can go on any further. The blood moon is only a few nights away, and Baekhyun no longer knows what to do.

But he needs Jongdae now more than ever, needs to taste him one last time, to feel him one last time. Baekhyun wants to be selfish just for a little bit more, so he surges forward to kiss Jongdae hungrily, opening his bond to fill it with his love, his lust, his need.

“Wait,” Jongdae starts, pulling back. “Baekhyun what--”

“Please,” Baekhyun breathes out. “Just… Please. I need this.” 

Jongdae reaches out to cup his cheek, swiping his thumb. “What’s wrong?”

Baekhyun leans forward, inhaling. “Nothing,” he lies, cutting his guilt off from the bond. “I just need to be reminded of why I’m here. Of why I’m staying.”

Jongdae’s face softens in understanding, in the way that only Jongdae ever does, leaning forward to kiss Baekhyun while he opens the bond, radiating love. Tomorrow, Baekhyun will tell the truth, will come clean and beg for forgiveness, for understanding, for _help_ in saving his brother before it’s too late, but for now he just wants to have Jongdae one last time, before the world as he knows changes for good.

Baekhyun buries himself in Jongdae. In his his mouth, his skin, his warmth. Covers himself over Jongdae like a barricade between them and the rest of the world as they kiss, over and over again, as Baekhyun trails those kisses down Jongdae’s body, over every inch of tattooed skin. 

“Wanna make you feel good,” he mumbles, and wraps his mouth around Jongdae’s cock, listening to every noise in every octave, absorbing them and letting them carve themselves into his bones so he’ll never forget their taste. He intertwines their fingers, alternating between going down on Jongdae and crawling back up to kiss him, to swallow his contrasting complaints between seeking more friction and more kisses. He grinds against Baekhyun’s thigh, lazily, until Baekhyun just sinks down again, pulling back each time Jongdae is close and dragging it out further and further until he’s writhing, begging to come, crying from the pleasure of it all. Baekhyun just kisses him over and over each time he does, wiping away his tears, promising that he’ll make Jongdae feel good, that he always does, but Baekhyun doesn’t want this to end.

He pours everything he is into Jongdae, floods it through the bond and feeds off the pleasure and overwhelming sensations that Jongdae echoes in return, bursting at the seams from it all. He comes with a cry that shakes birds from the trees, and Baekhyun just kisses him, and kisses him, and kisses him, not caring about his own release, not wanting anything except Jongdae.

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun awakens to fingers threading through his hair, the vibrations of humming from Jongdae’s chest where his cheek is pressed against it. Baekhyun absorbs the pleasure, at first, tail wagging happily as he stretches, wriggling closer to Jongdae’s hand.

Then time catches up to him, and he opens his eyes, filled with an immeasurable amount of sadness. He seals the bond shut just a split second too late, Jongdae’s hand stilling as he prods against the sadness curiously, confused.

Baekhyun doesn’t budge.

“C’mon,” Jongdae urges as he sits up, pulling Baekhyun forward for a kiss. “Let’s take the day off.”

Baekhyun gives him a quizzical look. “Won’t Jongdeok be expecting you--”

“Yep.” Jongdae grins mischievously. “So let’s go.” 

Baekhyun opens his mouth to tell Jongdae the truth, but it falls short. _Just one second more_ , he tells himself, just one second more to be selfish.

They run around like children, in the forest, listening to its song and letting the wind run through their hair. Flowers bloom and unfurl as Jongdae passes, and Jongdae sings to them, laughing, plucking a bright red blossom to tuck beside Baekhyun’s ear, then scratching it to make his tail wag. They chase each other to the river where they watch animals drink in quiet contemplation, the deer with their strange horns, the boars with their curled tusks, they climb up trees and chase strange-coloured birds from their nest. One tree’s green leaves turns into the fluttering of hundreds of butterflies as they climb up it, laughing as they brush against their cheeks. The forest is filled with so much life and beauty and magic, and Baekhyun breathes it all in, storing this moment forever in his memory, as Jongdae howls into the wind to mock a wolf and Baekhyun only smiles at him, joining in.

Jongdae captures a burning firefly and releases it in Baekhyun’s face, who yelps at the sight of a bug so close, Jongdae laughing as his blistering palms heal over from its flame. Baekhyun growls, they play-tackle, it turns to kissing, and more kissing, and more kissing after that. 

Jongdae licks one of Baekhyun’s ears teasingly, and Baekhyun has to chase him all over again, Jongdae scampering up into the tree branches as he squeals as Baekhyun clumsily follows behind, lacking Jongdae’s natural grace. At the top Jongdae leans against one branch and Baekhyun pins him to it, kissing him some more. Jongdae groans, pleasure emanating through the bond, but it falls short.

“Wait,” he says, pushing Baekhyun back, staring at something over his shoulder. “What’s that?”

Dread pools in Baekhyun’s stomach, but he follows Jongdae higher up the tree all the same, swinging between branches and leaping for the next. Jongdae stands at the top of the tall pine and leans against it, staring into the distance with a worried expression. Baekhyun follows his gaze through the needles, and finally spots what Jongdae had seen first.

“Smoke...” Jongdae breathes out. Fear and guilt strike Baekhyun like arrows to the chest, and he’s too slow to seal it off, the bond open too wide to close in time. Jongdae looks down at him, horrified, and Baekhyun sees his hands begin to shake.

“What did you do?”

“N-nothing--” Baekhyun tries.

“ _Nothing?”_ Jongdae repeats, clenching his hand over his chest. “Then what is _this?_ Why do you feel this way?” 

Baekhyun looks down, and he can feel Jongdae’s own horror inside him, his disbelief --no, his refusal _to_ believe what he’s already suspected to be true.

“It’s the King’s army,” Baekhyun admits, head down. “They’re marching for Hel.”

Even the forest seems to stop singing, the world suspended in silence. Mustering the courage to look up, Baekhyun does, unprepared for the cold fury frozen over Jongdae’s face, even as anger burns the bond between them. Not just anger, hurt --betrayal.

Jongdae leaps down. Baekhyun follows him.

“Jongdae wait, I can explain--” He reaches out.

“Explain _what_ , Baekhyun?” Jongdae snaps, slapping Baekhyun’s hand away. He shirks into himself. Jongdae’s anger flares. “How long have you known they were coming?”

Baekhyun hesitates, ears and tail drooping. “I didn’t escape, that night we were caught in Greykeep.” Jongdae steps back, eyes searching Baekhyun’s face desperately as if looking for a lie. He finds none, Baekhyun only has the truth left to give. “I… was sent here by the King.” 

“To do _what.”_

Baekhyun lowers himself, guilty. “To kill Jongdeok before the blood moon, and to lead the King’s armies to Hel to end the war once and for all.”

Jongdae exhales, choked up. Baekhyun thought heartbreak would be bearable, if he prepared himself for it, but he can feel Jongdae’s heart inside of him splintering, fragmenting, the world as Jongdae knows it breaking into pieces and it’s all Baekhyun’s fault. 

“It was all a lie then, every second?”

“ _No--”_ Baekhyun argues. “Jongdae, _no,_ I never-- I never meant you harm--”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Jongdae shouts, horrified. “You came here to what? To kill my brother, to let everyone here be _slaughtered,_ and then you stand in front of me and try to say that you meant no harm.” Baekhyun flinches as if struck. “Bullshit. You are filled with nothing but lies.” Jongdae spits at his feet. “I’m disgusted at myself for ever trusting you.” 

Jongdae pulls at the pin tying his hair up, tossing it to the ground, and then Baekhyun feels something curl around him like a hand, relentless and unforgiving. The hand squeezes, a snake strangling its prey, and all the air leaves his lungs. The bond shatters like glass, delicate, and Baekhyun falls to his knees at the feeling, a pain so deep it’s as if all his organs have ruptured, and he is left with nothing inside him but a gaping chasm, so wide it could never hope to be filled. He is collapsing inwards, a black hole.

Jongdae just watches as Baekhyun crumples, unsympathetic, unforgiving, magic radiating in waves so icy Baekhyun can hardly recognise it as Jongdae’s --the bitemark at his neck heals over just like that, as if it were never there to begin with. He looks so hardened, so cold, and guilt begins to trickle into the hole Jongdae left behind as Baekhyun realises _he’s_ the one who made Jongdae like this.

Jongdae leaves him writhing, Baekhyun in too much pain to follow, still clawing at his own chest as if desperate to stop it from pouring into the ground beneath him, even though he knows there isn’t a single physical wound on his body. 

He should leave, run, but there’s nowhere for Baekhyun to go. Greykeep won’t take him, and neither will Hel, he’d had them both and threw them away for… what? Selfishness. Greed. Home doesn’t exist to Baekhyun, it never has, and it never will, because he’s never for one second deserved it to.

Shaking, he clambers to his feet, clenching his fists at his side. He shuffles over to Jongdae’s hairpin, now splintered once again at the top, fractured like their bond. He closes his eyes and inhales the magic of the forest, curling his fist around it. He can’t -- _won’t_ \-- sit back and let innocent lives be taken for no reason, no more blood can be on his hands. Slowly, Baekhyun begins limping his way back to Hel, clenching at his empty chest.

As he shuffles through the village, the atmosphere is palpable, sticking to his skin and weighing him down as every tiefling in Hel watches him with cold, unforgiving eyes, relentless. It’s all in disarray, tieflings shuffling between houses and packing their things frantically. News travels fast.

The crowd parts for him, not wanting to touch his dirtied skin, and Baekhyun makes it to the plaza in front of the Blood Tree, the King immediately storming towards him.

“What’re you doing here?” he snaps.

“Please--” Baekhyun lowers his head, sinking to his knees as he prostrates himself-- “I want to help.”

Jongdeok growls at him. “Traitor.” It strikes like a whip as Baekhyun flinches, unable to stand the blow.

“What should we do with him?” Kyungsoo asks, though Baekhyun doesn’t dare look up. 

“Tie him up,” the King orders. “Leave him here for the wolves.” 

Kyungsoo pulls Baekhyun up to bind his wrists behind his back, but Baekhyun struggles.

“No, wait, I want to help--” he argues, desperate-- “I can fight, I can protect the village, please, you have to understand, they had my--”

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo growls, striking Baekhyun, bone ring cutting his cheek as the stinging pain stuns him into silence, even as the skin knits itself together and heals. “Stupid wolf.”

“We can’t leave here,” Jongdae tells his brother --Baekhyun turns his head to face him, hopeful, but Kyungsoo hand grips his hair and shoves it down again, forcing him to look at the ground. “Hel is our home.”

“We must protect the Blood Tree,” the Queen adds. 

“We’re left with no choice,” Jongdeok relents. “We have no way of standing up to the King’s armies, not when they’re already so close. We must make his expedition a fruitless one, and go deep enough into the forest that the humans can’t follow.” 

Jongdae hesitates, but from the corner of his eye Baekhyun watches him nod, face stern as he agrees with his brother, giving Baekhyun one cold, lingering look before turning on his heel. 

“Muzzle him,” Jongdeok orders Kyungsoo. “I don’t want to hear any more of his pathetic excuses.”

Seulgi is quick to gag Baekhyun with a piece of cloth, and the twine binding his hand is knotted around a stake and driven between the roots of the Blood Tree, fixed in place. Baekhyun is pushed to his knees and forced to watch as the tieflings of Hel gather all their belongings, children crying in their parent’s arms and families comforting one another as they begin their exodus outwards, the treehouses scraped clean of every possession that matters, the whole village once teeming with colour and life now greyed out and empty, deserted. 

And it’s all Baekhyun’s fault.

Joohyun, Sunyoung, Yixing, Sooyoung, Yerim, they all look at Baekhyun not with faces of disgust, but ones of disappointment, betrayal. Chanyeol lingers in front of Baekhyun for a moment, but he says nothing, pulled away by Junmyeon, who won’t even look in Baekhyun’s direction.

The royals --with their hunter warrior guard-- are the last to leave, each murmuring gratitude to the Blood Tree with a bow before leaving. They don’t spare Baekhyun a single glance as he keeps his head down, not brave enough to look up and feel their disgust, even though he deserves it.

Kyungsoo is the last person to leave the village, crouching in front of Baekhyun and tipping his dagger under his chin so that Baekhyun is forced to look up, wincing as the blade slices through his skin.

“I’d kill you,” Kyungsoo says simply, “but you don’t even deserve death.”

Kyungsoo shoves Baekhyun back then, standing, and leaves, so that Baekhyun is left with nothing but the emptiness of his chest and the emptiness of Hel, not even the forest’s song to fill the silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	12. Chapter 12

Baekhyun isn’t sure how long it takes until the wolves come, time seems to pass too slow and too fast all at once. He remembers the sun setting, and rising --but how many times? Has he already missed the blood moon, is it all over? Was he too slow to stop it?

Sehun is the first to find him, sprinting over to release him, pulling off his gag. Baekhyun is dehydrated and starved, barely stumbling to his feet as Sehun pulls him up, asking him if he’s okay, what happened. Baekhyun hears him, but he can’t respond, drowning in the hole inside his chest, submerged under water. He can see the glistening surface above him, but he can’t swim out to reach it.

“Where is everybody?” Taeyeon asks. “The whole village is deserted.”

Baekhyun doesn't answer, merely raises his head to meet Taeyeon's eyes, defiant.

"Don't untie him," Taeyeon snaps instantly, Sehun halting in confusion. She scrutinises Baekhyun, stepping closer. "If he'd done his duty, they'd have killed him."

"Then why leave him here?" Sehun asks. "Where did all the wildlings go?" 

"I don't know," Taeyeon replies. "But the Baekhyun I knew wouldn't be captured so easily." Sehun's face falls, and Taeyeon calls Seohyun over. "Take him back to the King," she orders. "He'll be expecting him."

  
  
  
  
  


Seohyun leads Baekhyun through the village by tugging at the rope still binding his wrists, Sehun stumbling beside him, asking him question after question, distraught. Why didn't Baekhyun do it? Is he their enemy now? Say it isn't true, deny it, why would he choose sin when he's always known better?

Baekhyun doesn't say a thing, drowning it all out alongside everything else. 

They pass Chanyeol's house, Kyungsoo's, Junmyeon redwood, memories seem to fill the now-empty village, and it aches inside Baekhyun. 

They cross the bridge to Hel, and soon --or maybe not soon at all, time doesn't pass the same-- they reach the army's camp, trees chopped down and tents pitched. It's dead silent, the forest's song nowhere to be heard, and Baekhyun feels the oppressive pressure of the King's magic, pushing him down. It's even more intense than it had been the last time, and Baekhyun isn't sure if that's because he's lost magic or the Kings gained more --it's hard to tell, maybe both. 

The forest around them isn't dead silent in the King's presence, it's just  _ dead _ . He's taken all its magic, silenced its voice.

The King's tent is a grand canopy of purple and gold, rippling in the wind. Seohyun pulls him inside, and Baekhyun is forced to his knees, pathetically crumpling, his muscles lacking any strength. Seohyun and Sehun kneel beside him. 

“Your majesty,” they greet.

“Leave us,” Baekhyun hears the King order, Sehun giving him a lingering look before nodding and exiting the tent. Despite the decadence of his quarters, the King is dressed in as plain, simple robes as always, and there are dark bags under his eyes. He looks different to Baekhyun, somehow, familiar and unfamiliar all at once, and despite the oppressive force of his magic, Baekhyun isn’t afraid.

“So you failed,” Minseok says simply as Baekhyun meets his eyes. “Hm. Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Isn’t your plan ruined?” Baekhyun finally speaks up, voice weak. If he couldn’t save Baekbeom, at least he could save Hel. “The tieflings are too deep in the forest for humans to follow.”

Minseok smiles. “Oh, wolf, you’re only three steps away from realising I’m already ten steps ahead.” Baekhyun feels it then, Minseok’s magic prickling over his skin like invisible roots and vines made of ice. “I’m not human anymore, remember? I can walk as deep into the forest as I’d like.” The sensation retreats, and Minseok’s smile just grows wider. 

“Then why send me here?” Baekhyun asks, digging his nails into his palms. All that struggle for nothing, the King wins either way --Baekhyun was given freedom only to suffer when it was inevitably taken from him. 

“On the off-chance you did as asked, Hel’s King would be dead and the wildlings vulnerable, easy to quash and take the forest for my own. But I assumed you’d betray me in the end, your head was already tainted with demon sin by the time you were brought to me. That meant the wildlings only had the choice of retreating, since I know they’re too weak to fight, no matter how much preparation they’d be given.

“Fortunately, you half-bloods tend to forget that I walked this forest long before you ever did, I know there’s only one place the King would lead his people to in times of crisis, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for. He’ll be leading us to it too.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen as he realises, inhaling sharply. “The Forest’s Heart…”

Minseok smiles. “It’s time to kill this forest once and for all.”

“You  _ can’t _ ,” Baekhyun argues. “If you do that, it will die,  _ all of it _ . There will be no magic left.” 

“And finally there will be silence,” he sighs, closing his eyes and basking in the pleasure of the thought. A  _ human _ can hear the forest’s song? Baekhyun is too stunned to speak, bewildered. Then again, Minseok has taken so much magic from the world he can hardly be called human.

“Don’t do this,” Baekhyun begs, struggling to stand but he’s pushed down again by Siwon and another Keeper. “You’ll damage the world beyond repair, the balance will never recover. Lives don’t have to be taken to stop this war--”

“On the contrary, wolf, I am doing what  _ must _ be done to restore balance,” Minseok retorts. “Magic corrupts and destroys life, not nurtures it. For too long I have let the wildlings survive in the forest to get drunk off its power, and no longer will I allow it. The world will finally know true peace and  _ quiet _ . It’s a shame neither you nor your brother will be around to see it.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen. “ _ No _ !” He struggles against his bonds, but the keepers only force him to his knees again. “ _ No _ , please, take my life, torture me, I don’t care, but leave him out of it, he’s done nothing to deserve this--”

His pleading goes ignored as Minseok waves his hands. “You knew the price of betrayal, Baekhyun, and now you will pay it. Take him to the pits, he’ll be seeing his brother soon enough.”

Baekhyun screams, louder than anything, tearing his voice from his throat, the wind stirs gently around him, the forest beyond the camp rising to his emotions even from so far away, but it’s no use. His shrill cries pierce through the deadened silence, but fall only on deaf ears as Baekhyun struggles, begging for his brother’s mercy before being tossed into a muddy trench.

Baekhyun growls, crawling up the wall, but it’s no use. He can’t get a grip in all the filth, and only falls deeper into the dug out pit, trapped. Thoughts of his brother’s punishment make Baekhyun nauseous, dry heaving, and he sobs, shaking, shouting at nothing and no one incoherently, begging to the gods he no longer believes in for forgiveness, to the spirits of the forest to be merciful. There is nothing but silence. 

Baekhyun’s screams only cause his voice to grow weaker as he slides down onto his knees, sobbing. He’s lost everything, Hel, Greykeep, his friends, Jongdae, his brother,  _ home _ , it’s all gone, and Baekhyun was too weak and powerless to stop it slipping from his grasp, too cowardly and selfish to know better.

A shrill whistle pulls Baekhyun sharply out of his thoughts, ears flicking, not expecting sound. It’s hard to see in the darkness what is making the noise, but Baekhyun slowly turns around to meet a glowing pair of red eyes rising in the darkness. 

The whistling turns to growls, and Baekhyun falls back onto his hands, scrambling away as the bloodhound approaches, a tiefling tainted by the magic of staying in their demon form after the full moon, forced by King Minseok’s magic. Baekhyun can sense its hunger prickling along his skin, and he struggles to stand, completely defenseless, stripped of all his weapons and weakened.

The bloodhound approaches closer, and it steps into a sliver of moonlight, revealing what once must of been a dhole half-blood, but is now corrupted by demon magic. It’s  _ huge _ , larger than it ought to be, its orange fur turned blood red, fangs dripping with saliva in an insatiable hunger for more magic. Its corrupt stench fills Baekyun’s nostrils, and another step closer shows the dhole’s ears --the right one torn from when Baekhyun had been a child, biting into it.

“No,” Baekhyun breathes out, stepping back. “ _ No _ .” 

Baekbeom’s bloodhound only steps closer, hungry for Baekhyun’s blood.

“I won’t hurt you,” he cries. “I-- I can’t,  _ Baekbeom _ , it’s me--”

Baekhyun’s back hits the wall, and Baekbeom lunges, gaping maw aiming right for his throat. Baekhyun barely rolls away in time, scrambling to his feet as Baekbeom whips around, growling deeper.

“Don’t you remember?” Baekhyun pleads. “I know you’re in there, you  _ have _ to be, Baekbeom please--”

The bloodhound lunges again, and this time Baekhyun is too slow to dodge, screaming in pain as it sinks its fangs into his shoulder before he manages to push it off, pressing his hand against the wound, horrified at the feeling of warm blood pulsing over it. The dhole only whistles again, hunting Baekhyun, tasted his blood and hungry for more.

“Don’t do this,” Baekhyun begs, crying. “Please.”

Another lunge has Baekhyun sliding through the mud, holding up an arm to the bloodhound dhole’s throat to stop its jaws from snapping at his neck. Baekhyun kicks Baekbeom off of him with as much strength as adrenaline can give.

“Baekbeom!” he tries, but it’s no use, the bloodhound as hungry as ever. He rolls out of the way of another strike, and winces when his arm slices against a rock buried in the mud, quickly digging it out with his fingers. The dhole growls, and Baekhyun throws the rock, hoping to at least knock it out so he can escape.

The rock successively digs into Baekbeom’s skull, but the wound closes over quickly. With no poison or magic on hand, there’s only one way to stop a demon, and Baekhyun sobs, once, before being forced to dodge once again, searching through the mud for where the rock had landed. 

Baekbeom pounces onto his back, and Baekhyun only manages just in time to throw him off his bleeding shoulder, finally finding the rock in the darkness and filth and sliding along the slippery ground to face him again.

“Don’t make me do this,” Baekhyun cries, tears tracking through the blood and filth on his face. “Baekbeom, please.”

But Baekbeom is just so  _ hungry _ , corrupted by demon magic, and Baekhyun has no choice. He lets the bloodhound pounce, teeth sinking back into his shoulder once again, drinking in his magic, sapping his power. There is no way to purify demon magic except to release its captor through death, and Baekhyun can’t let his brother suffer any longer.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun whispers, before plunging the rock with all the strength he has directly into the dhole’s chest.

There’s a soft whine, then Baekbeom’s jaws loosen, and he coughs up black blood over Baekhyun’s chest before slumping, falling to the side.

“Baekbeom,” Baekhyun whimpers, scrambling up to watch in the pale moonlight as the demon magic fades away, leaving nothing but a tiefling’s corpse in its place, Baekbeom’s blank eyes staring at nothing, black blood spilling down his chest. “ _ Baekbeom _ , wake up. Wake up, Baekbeom, please.”

Baekhyun sobs against his brother’s chest, howling in sorrow and agony to the near-full moon, a haunting song. He begs for him to wake up, to come home, to roll over and start blinking and grin at Baekhyun, to tease him for being a crybaby, playing dead like he used to when they were little. It never comes, no matter how much Baekhyun shakes his brother, he doesn’t wake up.

He alternates between sobbing and retching, heaving up bile as the acrid scent of death and demon blood fills his lungs, rocking his brother’s body back and forth. 

“Baekhyun,” a voice calls, but Baekhyun ignores it, because it isn’t Baekbeom, so what’s the point? He never got to apologise to him, to laugh with him, to rescue him. No, the King probably turned him into a bloodhound long before Baekhyun had made his decision, and his spirit, his soul, had been trapped in the curse of demon magic, suffering for eons. It’s all Baekhyun’s fault. “ _ Baekhyun _ .”

A hand touches his shoulder, but Baekhyun only growls. “Stay away from me,” he shouts at Sehun, and a deep wind pushes itself into the pit, pushing Sehun back as the forest rises to meet Baekhyun’s anger, his sadness, his complete and utter misery.

“Baekhyun please, we don’t have much time,” Sehun tries. “The Keepers will come check on you by sunrise, we have to go now.”

“I’m not leaving him,” Baekhyun chokes out. “I  _ can’t _ .”

Sehun’s shoulders fall, eyes watery. “Then take him with you,” he tries softly. “Just, Baekhyun,  _ please _ . I can’t sit here and let you die.” 

Baekhyun exhales, and something within him, broken and anguished, melds itself into steel. He gently cradles Baekbeom into his arms, and nods at Sehun, who perks up, instantly climbing up the rope he’d thrown down the side of the pit and spiked into the ground above, letting Baekhyun pass Baekbeom’s body up before climbing out himself. The pits, filled with King Minseok’s bloodhounds, are separated from the main campsite, but they don’t have much time. Sehun leads Baekhyun back into the forest, where its song begins to cry to him, sensing his anguish.

_ We can take it from you _ , it croons.  _ The pain, the agony. Give yourself to us. _

Baekhyun only ignores it, stopping as they reach a clearing by a crystal creek, glistening in the early morning sun. 

“What’re you doing? We need to keep going,” Sehun says, frantic, but Baekhyun doesn’t answer, laying his brother’s body by the reeds and the trickling of water. Wiping the sweat and tears and grime from his face with the back of his arm, Baekhyun drags his fingers through the dirt, drawing a ring of offering around Baekbeom’s body. He shuts Baekbeom’s vacant red eyes, and places his hands over his heart, hiding the blackened wound where Baekhyun had pierced his chest with nearby flowers from the riverbed. 

Sehun watches in silence as Baekhyun kneels, and with a shaky voice beginning to sing the song of offering, watching as roots and vines crawl out of the earth to wrap around his brothers body, engulfing him. As the song finishes, Baekhyun then turns to prayer, praying to the Twelve that his brother’s soul be free of guilt, and may he pass peacefully from this life to the next. 

Baekbeom’s body sinks into the soil with a sigh from his blood that Baekhyun can feel, finally at rest, his brother’s voice to join the forest’s chorus, thanking him. Baekhyun basks in the song as the wind caresses through his hair, trying to find peace in the fact that Baekbeom is free now, even though Baekhyun did this to him.

The steel inside Baekhyun sharpens, and he opens his eyes, ceasing his prayers.  _ No _ , he wasn’t the only one to do this to Baekbeom, all Baekhyun ever did was try to understand the world, to stop the very same ceaseless violence the King of Greykeep had forced him into against his own brother. But in doing so Minseok had only freed Baekhyun from the one thing holding him back, and now he is free from all remorse and hesitation. He will save the forest, the tieflings within it, and he will stop this war once and for all. No more lies, no more doubt, no more feeling powerless and helpless. He is a wolf, and he does not kneel.

The resolve is sudden, but welcome all the same.

“Come on,” Baekhyun tells Sehun, standing. “We need to find the Forest’s Heart.”

“Are you  _ crazy _ ?” Sehun argues. “I saved you so you could run away, Baekhyun, not head right back into battle. The wildlings want you dead just as much as the Keepers do.”

“I don’t care,” Baekhyun snaps. “I’m tired of us,  _ all of us _ , spilling blood in somebody else’s name. I have to stop Minseok before it’s too late.” Sehun flinches at the King’s name being spoken aloud. “Are you with me or not?”

“I--” He falters. “I don’t know.” 

Baekhyun sees the conflict on Sehun’s face, and softens, reaching out to touch his shoulder. 

“You saved me, didn’t you?” he asks. “Why?”

“Because…” Sehun’s face furrows in confusion. “Because I heard your voice, and I realised I couldn’t just sit back and let you die. You’re my friend, Baekhyun, and what the King did to you, to your brother, the way he lied and manipulated us all… that was wrong.” He breathes out in sudden realisation. “It was  _ wrong _ .” 

“Then help me, Sehun,” Baekhyun implores. “Please. You’ve already saved my life once, and I know I have nothing to offer you in return, but--”

“I want to stop this war too,” Sehun interjects, gripping Baekhyun’s arm. “And I trust you more than the King.”

Baekhyun smiles.

He sings to the forest to ask for food, and it delivers after his offering, fruit falling from the canopy onto the ground. He rinses the blood and grime off of himself and cleans his wound, the blood barely hardened over, just enough to make sure it can’t impair him any further. Determined, he and Sehun travel deeper into the forest, to end this once and for all.

“So where is the Forest’s Heart anyway?” Sehun asks.

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun admits. Sehun stops.

“Seriously?”

“Trust me,” Baekhyun says. “I can find it.”

He tips his head back, and he howls, reaching to whatever scraps of magic he has left and singing to the forest to help him, to show him its heart so that he can save it. It knows it’s in danger, after all, whispering of a boy that’s come home to take its magic, it knows it needs him.

The wind rustles in barely-there acknowledgement, but the forest does not stir, not replying to Baekhyun’s song. His voice cuts off, and his shoulders fall. Is that it? Is Baekhyun not strong enough? He doesn’t understand, doesn’t the forest want him? Doesn’t it  _ need _ him?

“I don’t get wildling magic,” Sehun grumbles, unimpressed. “Was something meant to happen?”

“Yes.” Baekhyun droops. “But Minseok stole so much magic… the forest is so quiet, I don’t think it--” He cuts off, inhaling.

“Holy shit,” Sehun curses, stumbling backwards in fear at the black wolf that rises silently over the ledge ahead, staring at them with three glowing silver eyes. Its black fur ripples in the breeze, as dark as shadow but alive like flame, and slowly, two other wolves appear from thin air to join it, watching Baekhyun, waiting. “ _ Fuck _ , we’re doomed.”

“No, Sehun,” Baekhyun reassures, smiling. “They’re here to help.”

Bravely, he walks forward, standing before the three black wolves. He bows over with his hands together as any tiefling would, the wolves simply watching, their huge size larger than Baekhyun’s demon form, their magic so potent its sharp scent fills Baekhyun’s lungs, invigorating him. They turn, beginning to dash through the underbrush, although one stops just ahead, looking back at Baekhyun in waiting. 

“I hate wildling magic,” Sehun mumbles, before Baekhyun grins and tugs him along. As the black wolves run, the forest around them groans and shifts, rearranging itself, sending them spiralling through it. They arrive at the bridge to Hel, and Baekhyun’s heart sinks. The village is completely burnt, destroyed.

“No…” he whispers, heart aching.

“It’s okay though, right?” Sehun tries, timid. “Because life always grows back.”

It’s a strange comfort, but Baekhyun finds himself inwardly agreeing, dashing to catch up to the wolves ahead and taking in the charred, ashy remains of what was once Hel, the Blood Tree nothing but a blackened claw, all its leaves lost, the court reduced to a pile of fallen trunks and soot. Even with all its damage it will recover, just like with the bear. Baekhyun is sure of it.

One of the black wolf sniffs between the Blood Tree’s blackened roots, pawing at the ground and whining.

_ Take it _ , the forest sings, voice barely a whisper through the dead wind of Hel,  _ you’ll need it. _

_ “ _ What’re you--” Sehun watches as Baekhyun kneels to the ground, pulling the silver dagger, undamaged and untouched. The wolves dash ahead again in waiting, giving Baekhyun no time to mourn. It’s better this way, he thinks, when time is running out, and Baekhyun would rather be proactive than sit around grieving. He closes his eyes and wishes the spirit of the Blood Tree eternal rest, before catching up to the wolves as they pass through Hel and back into the forest, rearranging itself once again. 

The scenery begins to change, but it’s so different, and even Sehun can sense it given by the way his eyes widen as they run alongside each other. The magic here is thick, heady, suffocating, so pure that it floats in specks of concentrate around them, the brush is more tangled, the trees are taller, and there’s a simple primordial feeling to it all, like the trees are old enough to have grown eyes, turning to watch what fools dare to tread through it. The song here is loud, louder than anything Baekhyun has ever heard, a deep chant of ancient tongues he can barely understand. 

They’re nearing the Forest’s Heart, after all, and Baekhyun begins to understand why Minseok seeks to destroy such great power. This is nothing like the whispers and sweet tunes of the younger forest, spreading towards Greykeep and beyond, no _ ,  _ the Deep Forest and its Heart are as old as time itself, and they do not know fear. 

The black wolves ahead disappear into the shadows, and Baekhyun and Sehun come to a stop, confused. They’re not at the true Heart quite yet, but time doesn’t seem to flow quite right here, and Baekhyun has lost all sense of direction and coherency. How is he to know where he’s meant to go?

_ Finally _ , a deep voice chants,  _ you have returned home _ . 

“Me?” Baekhyun asks it, confused, but he gets no response, alerted to a third party’s presence by the snap of a twig underfoot, and the sharp twang of a bow string.

Baekhyun dodges to the side just in time for an arrow to sail past where his head once was, blinking at its tail embedded in the dirt, fletched with raven feathers. Baekhyun’s head whips to follow the arrow’s path, and he’s met with the petrified, silent roar of a demon panther’s mask.

Baekhyun’s heart breaks. 

But he doesn’t have time to dwell on the feeling, forced into dodging another arrow as a masked osprey and tigress leap from the bushes, quickly surrounding Sehun. He growls at them, weaponless, his snarls keeping them somewhat at bay. The panther is focused solely on Baekhyun.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” he calls.

“I'm here to help,” Baekhyun shouts back.

The panther growls, and leaps forward with an easy grace, brandishing his dagger, and swiping it at Baekhyun’s throat, forced to dodge by stepping backwards.

“Because you’ve helped so much in the past,” he spits.

He swings his dagger in the opposite direction, and they begin a morbid dance of missed strikes and blows as Baekhyun remains on the defensive, refusing to strike. 

“They had my brother,” Baekhyun tries to reason. “You have to understand, I couldn’t just tell the truth--”

“Then why should I believe you now?” The panther aims for his cut shoulder; it almost lands.

“Because he’s dead now,” he shouts. “And my only left allegiance is with you.”

The panther growls, savage and haunting, and tackles Baekhyun onto the ground, pinning him down. He struggles, but it’s no use, his weight too oppressive. 

“I should kill you,” he growls. “I  _ will _ kill you. You betrayed me, you betrayed  _ everyone _ . I trusted in you despite  _ everything _ , and you used it against me.” The panther takes his bow and presses it against Baekhyun’s throat, cutting off his air. Baekhyun stops struggling “I spared you once, but I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

He presses harder, and Baekhyun chokes, unable to speak as he makes nothing but cut off sounds, vision dotting, body struggling to maintain its strength. The bow just presses down even harder, and Baekhyun can barely do anything but reach into the pouch of his torn and filthy tunic, pulling out the splintered, shattered hairpin inside. It doesn’t even resemble the shape it once had, so bruised and battered, but he should recognise it all the same.

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun wheezes out, more a mouthing of words than any sort of sound. “Please.”

The loss of air makes him weak, and his fingers uncurl as his hand flops back, the hairpin rolling along the ground pathetically. 

Jongdae’s golden eyes track its movement, and just as Baekhyun is about to black out the bow is pulled back and he gasps for air, freed as Jongdae stands up and roars, a loud, powerful noise that shakes birds from its trees, his anguish so potent the wind roars with him, responding to his magic and his power even here in the Forest’s Heart. It's misery and pain and suffering and  _ frustration _ and Jongdae runs away into the forest, leaving those behind to be shaken by the power of his magic, frozen in place.

Sehun, some steps away from Baekhyun, has his hackles raised, Kyungsoo pinning his hands against his back from behind with a dagger at his throat while Seulgi has her bow drawn. Slowly, she lowers her weapon, and Kyungsoo lets go. Sehun stumbles over.

“Are you okay?” he asks Baekhyun, pulling him up. “Who  _ was _ that?”

“I’m fine,” Baekhyun lies, palming at his throat and wincing at the stinging in his shoulder, the wound now reopened. The hairpin lies fractured on the ground, and he bends to scoop it up, wiping the dirt off it with his thumb and tucking it back into his pocket. Kyungsoo and Seulgi watch him warily, Seulgi’s striped tail flicking.

“We should finish the job the Prince started,” Seulgi says, but neither of them move.

Baekhyun inhales, lifting his chin. “I know you don’t trust me,” he starts. “And I don’t expect you to, but you need to know the King of Greykeep  _ wanted _ the tieflings to lead him to the Forest’s Heart, and his magic is powerful enough that the forest won’t be able to stop him. You must feel him coming, so you know I’m not lying." Kyungsoo's face is set in a reluctant grimace. "You need our help whether you like it or not. If he destroys the Heart, he destroys all of magic and life as we know it. We can’t let that happen.”

Seulgi and Kyungsoo turn to look at each other through their masks, and there’s a long, drawn out period of silence that has Baekhyun on edge before they pull them back.

“Fine,” Kyungsoo relents, snide. “Follow us.”

  
  
  
  
  


It's strange, to walk through the deep forest. The magic is so potent, so  _ loud _ , Baekhyun can hardly hear himself think, constantly forced to pull his feet so that the crawling roots tangling around his ankles won't tug him beneath the surface.

The tieflings all stare as he and Sehun pass, and who are they to blame them? Two wolves, a traitor and an enemy, walking through the forest with their hands empty, dressed in sheep's clothing to be allies. There is  _ so much _ in the eyes that meet Baekhyun's, confusion, anger, disgust, curiosity, and sometimes…relief. 

Or so Baekhyun hopes.

Jongdeok is with the Queen, discussing something with a ring of shamans, the tieflings around them setting up camp for the night. As the Queen sees Kyungsoo approaching with the wolves in tow, her face falls, Jongdeok following her gaze.

"What is he doing here?" she shouts, affronted, storming forward.

"They're here to help," Seulgi answers. "Apparently…"

Jongdeok steps forward then, icy, his magic pressing into Baekhyun's skin like swords.

"You must be quite a fool to show your face amongst us once again, after we gave you mercy you did not deserve," he says. "Or do you wish for death that badly?"

"Maybe." Baekhyun holds his gaze. "But I'd have to be missing my head completely to come here with no true purpose. If I wanted death, I could just jump in a river."

“And uh, as you can see,” Sehun nervously adds. “His head is there.” 

Baekhyun turns to give Sehun an exasperated look, who only shrugs helplessly in response. He resists the urge to facepalm.

“...What he said,” Baekhyun reluctantly adds. There’s a cough from behind him that suspiciously sounds like a laugh, but when he turns around Seulgi only has a hand over her mouth, clearing her throat. "The King of Greykeep seeks to destroy the Heart. We're only here to help."

"And why should we trust you?" Jongdeok asks. "You betrayed us once, what stops you this time?"

Baekhyun swallows, and his heart aches. 

"You once said to me you'd do anything for your brother," Baekhyun tells him, searching Jongdeok's face. "Then please understand, I never held  _ any _ allegiances to the King of Greykeep, only a desperation to save my family." Slowly, Baekhyun inhales to calm himself, his fists shaking at his sides. "But he's dead now, and it was the King that killed him. It's my fault that I tried to shoulder this burden alone and I--" he swallows around the lump in his throat-- "I cannot let his death be in vain. The death of the Forest’s Heart affects all life, both in Hel and in Greykeep. Whether you trust me or not, we must work together."

Surprisingly, it's the Queen who breaks the silence. "And how can you help?" she asks, surprisingly unguarded, empathetic. "What are two wolves against a thousand men?"

“The King isn’t as invincible as he thinks he is,” Baekhyun says. “He forgot to account for a weakness in his armor.”

“And what’s that?” questions the Queen.

“Sehun.”

“What?” Sehun blurts. “Me?”

Baekhyun nods, confident. “He didn’t account for you saving me, he didn’t account for you switching sides. You know his plans, his strategies. The King was prepared to strike the tieflings of Hel at the Heart, but he wasn’t prepared for them to know he was coming.” 

Sehun blinks, caught off-guard, and then of all things, he turns  _ red _ , blushing.

“Oh,” he says lamely. Baekhyun smiles at him, endeared and… proud. 

“Well?” The Queen turns to Sehun, raising an eyebrow. “What say you, wolf?” 

Sehun gulps audibly, withering a little under the Queen’s glare, despite being nearly twice her height. 

"Well, your uh… majesty?" he tries, tentative. "The humans of the King's army won't be able to withstand the magic of the Heart, so it won’t be thousands of men. It was always his plan to just bring his Keepers and the wolves this far. He knew there wouldn't be enough wildlings --uh, tieflings-- to fight either way." Sehun pauses. "...No offense."

Baekhyun watches Kyungsoo beside them rub his temple. Seulgi looks amused. 

"But now we know he's coming," Baekhyun speaks up with an amount of courage he’s forcing himself to feel. "And we can prepare. Sehun and I know the Keepers, the wolves. We can pinpoint their weaknesses and strike them down.”

Sehun nods. “With the blood moon, the King will have enough magic to overpower the forest, and will use your path to lead him to the Heart.”

Baekhyun falters, realising he’s lost track of time. “How long does that give us?” 

“Until tomorrow night,” Jongdeok answers coolly. Baekhyun’s stomach drops out. 

“The King will have more magic,” Jongdae speaks up, appearing from the shadows, eerily calm. Baekhyun’s chest inflates, but Jongdae doesn’t even look at him. “But so will we. It’s time we ended this, once and for all.”

Jongdeok softens with his brother’s approval, then nods in agreement. He turns to Baekhyun and Sehun. “Very well, wolves. Tell us this plan of yours.”

  
  
  
  
  


It takes some time, and Baekhyun can still tell he and Sehun are far from trusted, but at the very least it’s a plan. Sehun talks about the separate wolf packs, which ones to avoid at all costs, and which ones will be easiest to take down. They’ll be surrounding the Heart to prevent any tieflings escaping, which is why they have the upperhand --a whole bunch of wolves will be kept on guard duty, while the escapee tieflings have already left.

“We need every able bodied fighter we can get staying here,” Jongdeok says. 

“Which means you and I stay,” Jongdae concludes. 

“Then I will lead our people away,” the Queen finishes, and the royals all nod. Jongdae still won’t look at Baekhyun, not even once. It’s strange, seeing him so close --like there’s a phantom limb in front of him; Baekhyun can  _ feel _ him there, but it’s unresponsive, still that hole in his chest.

“Take them north to the forest’s mountains,” Jongdeok says. “It will be safest to hide the children and the elderly.” The Queen agrees. 

“How many fighters does that leave?” Sehun asks.

“One hundred, maybe two,” Jongdae answers. “Still outnumbered.”

“Will traps be able to make up for that difference?” Baekhyun interjects. Jongdae’s gaze flicks to him, brief, before pulling away entirely as if he’d never faltered.

“...Maybe,” Seulgi muses. “But I’m not sure how many we’ll be able to set up in time.” 

“Wolves won’t fall for wildi-- tiefling tricks,” Sehun points out.

“But Keepers and bloodhounds will,” Jongdae concludes, realisation cross his expression. “Which should minimise the numbers at least a little.” 

“We can also count on the forest,” Baekhyun adds. “It will help too.” To prove his point, a gust of wind blows through the war council, ruffling their cloaks and hair. 

“And if we… somehow pull this off,” Kyungsoo says. “What then? He still has a whole human army camped outside, waiting.”

“Not if we kill their King,” Jongdae says, golden eyes burning with so much contained anger they’re almost red. “Without him, there's no magic to protect them. The forest will spit them out.”

“So we just win against an army that outnumbers us, kill an immortal ancient being, win the war and call it a day?” Sehun asks. Silence passes. “Great. Easy enough.”

“Gather as many people as you can to begin setting up traps,” Jongdeok orders Seulgi and Kyungsoo. “I’m afraid it won’t be a night of rest.” They nod, heading back to the main camp. 

“I’ll break the bad news of having to move again,” the Queen speaks up before Jongdeok’s mouth has even opened the whole way, following the two hunters. Jongdeok smiles at her frail body shaking as she treks through the forest, unbothered by her own weakness. 

“Baekhyun,” Jongdeok says next, surprising him. “Find Junmyeon and the other weapon makers, see how many resources we have on hand, you two help him,” he tells Jongdae and Sehun.

Baekhyun flinches.

“Your majesty,” Sehun speaks up timidly. “If I may…?”

Jongdeok gives him an amused look. “You do not need permission to speak, Sehun.”

“Then… I wish to talk further strategy with you. I believe there may be ways to shed as little blood as possible. I… I know the King’s wolves are your enemy, but they are also my friends, my family.”

Jongdeok softens. “Very well.” 

Which only leaves Baekhyun and Jongdae on the task, both of them standing there awkwardly as Jongdeok and Sehun walk to the campsite, Sehun’s hands moving emphatically through the air as Jongdeok nods, attentive. 

Baekhyun had enough courage to speak to an entire war council, but with Jongdae, alone, his voice is gone.

“Jongdae--” he finally manages, but Jongdae only ignores him, walking forward. Baekhyun double steps to catch up, lingering behind him, tail tucked between his legs. 

Junmyeon, Joohyun and Chanyeol aren’t surprised to see Baekhyun; no doubt news travels quickly, because the tieflings throughout the camp are already springing to action, parents hugging their children before leading them to join a larger group and many bodies pulling down tents and rolling them to fit against packs. 

“I’m sorry,” is the first thing Baekhyun says, prostrating himself, forehead to the ground. “I betrayed your trust, your kindness, but I have to ask for it again. If not for me, then for the good of the forest. For the good of everyone.” There’s a lengthy pause as Baekhyun just stays in place, stomach empty and hands shaking. Eventually, it breaks. 

“Stand, Baekhyun,” Junmyeon says, weary. “A tiefling never kneels.” 

Hopeful, Baekhyun rises to his feet, and tentatively smiles. They all tentatively smile back. Forgiveness brings with it the removal of a great burden, a weight lifted off their shoulders.

With Junmyeon, Chanyeol, and Joohyun’s help, they manage to make solid teams of those who can build and place traps, as well as distribute out the weapons to those who don’t have them. All tieflings learn to hunt and fight, but only the particularly adept are given wolfsbane poisoning, and sequestered to teams to deal with the wolves and bloodhounds on the front lines. Keeper magic is fickle, channeled, precise enchantments that work better in the dead air of Greykeep. Their magic will be stronger on the blood moon, but it will only make it harder to control.

They work tirelessly through the night and the dawn, but Baekhyun can feel it in the air, the dread of war and within that, hope. Hope that they'll win, that they'll make it out of this alive, that they'll end Minseok’s tyranny once and for all.

By midday, most of the preparations are finished, the remaining able tieflings sharing food by a fire, catching what little rest they can. There's something strange about people laughing before a battle, but Baekhyun takes comfort in it. It shows the bonds between the tieflings are strong enough to withstand Minseok, strong enough to last. Even if they lose…

Baekhyun won’t entertain the thought. He's lost so much to the King already; he refuses to lose anything more.

A tug at his gut has Baekhyun turning just in time to catch Jongdae disappearing into the shadows, the throng of trees beyond the clearing. He still hasn't said a word to Baekhyun, and if he had looked at him, it wasn’t  _ at _ him.

Self-preservation never has been Baekhyun's strength, and he follows Jongdae, trusting that tug in his gut to lead him.

The ancient song grows louder, the magic thickening even further, the trees pressed so tightly together Baekhyun can barely squeeze through. 

Then just like that, they clear, and a feeling of deep peace washes over Baekhyun, inhaling sharply as he takes in the Forest's Heart.

The word paradise could not do it justice, the soft pulse of soil beneath Baekhyun's feet in rhythm, pure magic clouding the air, the greenery such a potent colour it hurts Baekhyun's eyes. In the centre of the heart, buried beneath the earth, is a large tree, circled by a moat of glowing silver water imbued with magic around its roots.

Its song is pure, true, a deep melody that shakes Baekhyun's bones.  _ This _ , he knows, came before all life, before time, before light and darkness there was only a Heart, and from it sprouted the First. Baekhyun is hypnotised, filled with an instinct that isn't human or demon or tiefling, it is simply  _ knowledge _ . All of the forest, every animal, every blade of grass, the Blood Tree, every tiefling --even every  _ human _ \-- they are all seeds birthed from the First’s sprawling branches, so tall they spread into the clouds and beyond, disappearing. There are no gods, no spirits, only magic and life and the First.

In front of the tree, Jongdae  _ kneels _ , his eyes closed as he sings quietly, songs of protection, of guidance. He looks beautiful in the golden light, perfectly in his element, long eyelashes resting over his cheekbones and circlet in place. The magic swirls around him, listening as always, joining his chorus, but if the First Tree hears him, it shows no sign. 

In a daze, Baekhyun wanders forward, joining Jongdae's side, careful not to touch him. Jongdae's flicking ears are the only sign that he's noticed Baekhyun's presence, continuing in his song unwaveringly.

The song ends, and Jongdae's clear voice fades, leaving them both kneeling side-by-side, bathing in the silent but powerful song of the First, nothing but the soft pulse of the heart beneath them, shifting the restless earth.

“It’s beautiful,” Baekhyun finally says, cracking. He can’t stand it --not the silence, or the quiet, but the fact that Jongdae won’t look at him, won’t acknowledge him. Even though he knows he deserves it, he can’t withstand the blow. 

“It’s forbidden for you to be here,” Jongdae answers, his voice flat. “But I guess this is an exception.”

Baekhyun inhales magic, letting it fill his lungs. His demon blood burns with the approach of the blood moon, but the primordial magics here only soothe it, like water over a burn. Baekhyun no longer feels like a wolf fighting a human, he feels at peace. 

“Jongdae,” he starts. “I--”

“Don’t,” Jongdae cuts in. “I don’t want your excuses, Baekhyun.” He flinches as if struck. “Do you know how  _ angry _ I was, at first? How furious?” Even while Jongdae talks, he doesn’t look at Baekhyun, his face a careful mask like the carved wooden panther face at the back of his head, but his eyes betray his storm of feelings. “That after everything we’d been through together, after everything everyone had  _ done _ for you, you’d betrayed us all. I didn’t know how much of it was true, how much I’d been lied to, manipulated. All I could ever give you was my trust and you broke it. 

“But then…” Jongdae’s face contorts. “Then it just turned to  _ hurt _ , Baekhyun. It hurt so much. I had to leave my home behind and watch it go up in flames, but I still kept searching for your face in the crowd, reaching out for you in my sleep.” Jongdae’s eyes shine with unshed tears. “I kept… wanting you near me, and I hated myself for it, because no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t stop loving you, no matter how much I told myself it was all lies, or that I hated you, or that you were a traitor, I was still in love with you. I  _ am _ still in love with you.

“Then you come back and I--” he cuts off, voice breaking, swallowing-- “what am I meant to do, Baekhyun? How can I ever trust you again?” Jongdae finally looks at Baekhyun, and he’s crying now, searching Baekhyun’s face for answers he cannot give. Sadness wells up in him, and Baekhyun begins crying too, for Jongdae’s pain is his pain, and Jongdae’s pain is his  _ fault _ . 

“I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” Baekhyun says, hurriedly swiping at his tears. “But I love you, Jongdae, I always have, and you must know it because you  _ felt  _ it.” Jongdae grunts and turns his face, rubbing at his eyes. “That was never a lie, it never  _ could _ be a lie. And I swear for the rest of my life I will never lie to you, ever, I’ll do whatever it takes--”

“It wasn’t just that,” Jongdae snaps. “Because I thought about what would have changed if you told us. The King still would have come, Hel still would have burned, we’d still be forced to leave. 

“Then I realised… I wasn’t just hurt because you lied to me, Baekhyun, but by keeping secrets from me you only proved that you didn’t trust me, that you didn’t trust our friends, didn’t trust any of us, even when we trusted  _ you _ . We could’ve helped you, we could’ve found a way to save your brother or-- or  _ something, _ we would’ve worked it out, we wouldn’t have turned our backs on you if you had given us the truth before it was too late. 

“At the very least  _ I _ would’ve helped,  _ I  _ would’ve understood, but it didn’t even cross your mind to tell me the truth until I confronted you about it. So then what, Baekhyun? I wasn’t enough for you? You accepted that your time in Hel would run out and you saw me as… temporary?” 

“ _ No _ ,” Baekhyun is quick to argue, grabbing Jongdae and refusing to let go. “No I-- I wanted you forever but I… I was selfish, Jongdae, please.” He takes Jongdae’s chin gently, tilting it towards him to look at him, to see the sincerity on Baekhyun’s vulnerable expression, tears still flowing freely. “My whole life, I only ever had myself. Even with Baekbeom--” he inhales shakily, trying to steady himself-- “I was still so alone, and I… I’ve never known any different. Not until you. You gave me kindness--” Jongdae scoffs, self-deprecating, but Baekhyun is relentless-- “And compassion, and love, and  _ freedom _ . You understood me, you  _ listened _ . You brought me to Hel and gave me a home, and still I was too stupid to realise that I wasn’t alone anymore.” Baekhyun entwines their fingers together, Jongdae softening. “I abused that trust, and I will never,  _ ever _ do such a thing again, but I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if that’s what it takes.

“You don’t have to love me again.” Baekhyun squeezes harder, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “And maybe I don’t even deserve your friendship, but--”

“Spirits, shut up,” Jongdae cuts in, huffing as he furiously wipes away his tears, sniffling, once. “I wish it were that easy, Baekhyun, because there’s a hole in my chest and it feels like I’m losing pieces of myself, wanting to be filled with you…” Jongdae looks down at their hands, then pulls his away. “But I need time. I need time and I need…. Space to think about this, when we’re not at war with an immortal king fighting for our lives. I need to know what happens once all this over and then… and then maybe… we’ll see.” 

It’s not rejection, or disgust, or denial, it’s  _ hope _ , and Baekhyun perks up before he can even stop himself, ears straight, tail wagging. Jongdae laughs at him through it, wiping away the last of his tears quickly.

“Dumb puppy,” he says, a mix of fond and soft and sad all at once. 

The moment is cut short by a pulse of magic that pushes through the forest, cold and unforgiving, not falling for the forest’s tricks. Baekhyun and Jongdae stand in unison, turning to face it in defense.

“The moon has nearly risen,” Jongdae says, and Baekhyun nods in agreement, craning his neck to the sky with its setting sun. “We should prepare.” 

Minseok’s magic is a cold oppressive force, but the heart beneath Baekhyun’s feet beats unwaveringly, so he refuses to let himself be swayed, following Jongdae back to the main campsite. 

Already, the separate squads have begun to take their place, the less competent fighters to linger on the backlines, a second ring of defense. War paint is smeared, and masks are put in place, embracing their demons as the blood moon soon rises.

“So you made up, huh?” Chanyeol asks after Baekhyun and Jongdae nod at each other in understanding, taking their separate paths.

“...Maybe,” Baekhyun mumbles, Chanyeol grinning at him. He looks tired, and it seems he’s too exhausted to let himself hold onto his anger, something Baekhyun is grateful for. “He said he needed time, he hasn’t made up his mind about me yet.”

Chanyeol hums. “I’m sure he’ll come around, you two are like… the seasons, y’know? Even when snow falls, spring will come again. You’re two halves of the same whole. I think you’ll always come back to each other in the end.”

Baekhyun chooses to believe it.

“Hey, Chanyeol--” Baekhyun can’t get an apology out or even a thank you, because Chanyeol has wrapped his long arms around Baekhyun and is squeezing all the air out.

“I knew you’d come back to us too,” he whispers like it’s a secret, and Baekhyun has nothing he could possibly say.

While Baekhyun is smearing his warpaint on, similar to the patterns used while hunting, Junmyeon approaches, holding out something wrapped in cloth.

“Here,” he says. “Kyungsoo commissioned it. He wanted us to give it to you on the blood moon. I figured I’d see that through.”

Baekhyun hesitantly takes the cloth, unwrapping it to reveal an intricately carved mask in the shape of a wolf, painted silver like the moon with delicate etchings across it. It’s a solid weight in his hands, an embracing of his demon side, an acknowledgement of the tiefling he is.

Baekhyun laughs in disbelief.

“Thank you, Junmyeon,” Baekhyun says, pressing their foreheads together. “Really.”

Junmyeon smiles, wrapping a hand around the back of Baekhyun’s neck to return the gesture before pulling away.

“Don’t just thank me,” he advises. “Though perhaps don’t do that with Kyungsoo. He’s prickly.” 

Baekhyun laughs, somehow finding it within himself to do so, and he closes his fingers over the mask, placing it over his face. It’s a perfect fit. 

As the sun approaches, the wildlings gather, Sehun decked out in new leathers and skins that he keeps tugging at, making Baekhyun smile. Jongdeok stands before them all with Jongdae at his right side.

"Tieflings of Hel," Jongdeok shouts. "For too long we have all suffered beneath the hands of Greykeep. Friends, family, the forest, they have all been lost to human greed and corruption.” Baekhyun places a hand over his heart, shutting his eyes. “No longer will we cower in the face of evil. This war ends tonight! Together, we are stronger than anything that dares to stand in our way."

And then, he  _ roars _ , the powerful call of a lion, the wind and magic swirling around him, channeling through them all. The tieflings cheer, the call of a hundred animals. Baekhyun tips his head back to howl, and Sehun joins in. 

Before Baekhyun leaves to take his place in the front lines, Jongdae grabs his wrist, masks in place.

"I've lost you once," he says, squeezing. "So you're not allowed to leave me again. Understand, puppy?"

Baekhyun's chest tightens, and he reaches inside his vest to pull out Jongdae's hairpin. It's broken and fractured, worse for wear, but it's still  _ theirs _ . Gingerly, Jongdae takes it.

"I'll always come back to you," Baekhyun promises. "You're home."

It's impossible to tell what Jongdae is thinking with the mask in place, but he squeezes Baekhyun's wrist once more before letting go, golden eyes swimming with a myriad of emotions Baekhyun can't label until he turns to leave, set to protect the Heart alongside Jongdeok.

Baekhyun is assigned to Sehun and some of the other hunters to deal with the wolves, bloodhounds and Keepers on the frontlines, taking their place in the tall tree branches. The sun will set any second now, Baekhyun unable to take his eyes off the horizon.

"Promise me you won't hurt them," Sehun says, touching the bow in Baekhyun's hands. "They were your friends too, once."

_ Friends _ is a strong word, but Baekhyun has no intent of spilling unnecessary blood tonight. He nods, watching Sehun relax. The wolves are only weapons in all of this; they do not deserve punishment. 

The sun crosses the horizon line, and Baekhyun inhales as the blood moon takes its place in the darkened sky. Baekhyun has only experienced a blood moon a few times in his life, and never before have they looked like this, a huge super moon in the sky, as crimson as the blood it's named after, the ultimate lunar eclipse.

With no sunlight left, Baekhyun's demon blood boils, enhanced beneath the moon’s power. It's only amplified by the deep forest around him, and Baekhyun stares down at his hands in wonder. He doesn't feel human at all, rather like he's floating, imbued with such pure magic. Is this what it is to be a demon?

But then, a pulse in the distance, and Baekhyun  _ feels  _ it, Minseok’s immense power, unlocked at last. It sweeps over them with the force of an explosion, but it’s freezing cold and so very  _ dead _ , the corrupting magic he’s stolen from the forest for hundreds of years. There’s something beneath it all, too, something that Baekhyun knows only he can sense, familiar to him in strange ways he cannot place.

His eyes widen in realisation.

“I need to go,” he shouts at Sehun. “I need to--”

It’s too late, for wolves have begun to infiltrate the forest, and the battle has already begun. A war horn is blown, and Baekhyun panics. Arrows are fired into the throng of Keepers, wolfsbane shearing through their magic barriers and piercing through the steel plating of their armor, but the King is nowhere to be seen.

The wolves and bloodhounds are too quick, faster and stronger beneath the blood moon in a way the tieflings never could have accounted for, dodging past arrows and leaping over pitfall traps with ease. Those on the ground are quickly overwhelmed as bloodhounds barrel into them, knocking them down, tearing out their throats and growing stronger with the taste of blood. Some of them are too unpredictable, though, turning on the Keepers by their cages and attacking the wolves.

Baekhyun drops down without hesitation, landing on the back of a bloodhound and plunging his dagger between its shoulder blades, making it howl in pain as the poison seeps into its blood. It crumbles to the ground, and Baekhyun fires an arrow into the hind leg of a nearby wolf, spinning rapidly to repeat the process again, ducking beneath a firey bolt from one of the Keepers, skidding along the ground. He sprints through the underbrush, stumbling to make his way to the Heart before it’s too late, but he hesitates, because one glance at the battlefield tells him the tieflings are overwhelmed. 

In his doubt, he’s tackled over by another wolf, forced to shove his bow between her teeth so that her jaws can’t close around his throat. But Baekhyun is a wolf too, and he inhales the magic of the blood moon to throw her off, growling. 

The black she-wolf shifts, and Taeyeon bares her fangs at him.

“Why are you doing this?” she snaps at him. “Why would you hurt your own kind?” 

They circle each other, waiting for the other to strike first.

“I’m hurting my own kind?” Baekhyun retorts. “How does serving Minseok accomplish anything, Taeyeon? He imprisons us, uses us.”

“He protects us,” she argues, holding a hand to her chest. “He’s trying to  _ save _ us.”

“From what? Freedom?” 

Taeyeon doesn’t answer, instead growling in frustration and lunging at Baekhyun in her wolf form. They struggle, too equally matched.

A blur of ochre-coloured fur pushes her off, and Sehun’s huge wolf growls at Taeyeon, his pack leader, protecting Baekhyun. 

Sehun barks an order at Baekhyun, understanding that he has something he must do.  _ Go _ , it shouts. 

He stops hesitating.

Baekhyun pulls himself to his feet and sprints deeper into the forest, with the blood moon giving him strength, he howls, singing to the forest to take him to its Heart, to let him protect it. The deep forest is reluctant, but it shifts all the same, creaking and groaning until the clearing is within sight, the thrum of the Heart echoing beneath his feet.

Baekhyun barrels through the brush, and is met with bows drawn in his face, held back only by Jongdeok’s raised hand.

“Baekhyun?” Jongdae asks, stepping forward and pulling back his panther mask. “What’re you doing here? Have the front lines already collapsed?”

“No,” Baekhyun pants. “No but it’s the King, you don’t understand, his magic isn’t just stolen, it’s--” 

Another pulse of magic, but this time with force, and trees around the clearing begin to fall over, crashing down. Baekhyun and Jongdae jump apart as one lands between them, separating them.

“Fire!” Jongdeok shouts, and the hunters clustered by him raise their bows, only to fail as roots break from beneath the soil and wrap around their hands, pulling them down and trapping them in place. Baekhyun can only watch in horror as the forest turns on them, and Kyungsoo’s black eyes search out his through the fallen trees even as he’s pulled to the ground.

Jongdae slices free of the roots with his dagger and leaps into the air, perching on the branch of a fallen tree to glance at the ground, bewildered at the sight. The roots at Baekhyun’s feet hesitate, whipping against his skin but not wrapping around --he climbs to follow Jongdae away from them. 

“What’s going on?” Jongdae asks, frantic. “What is this?”

Baekhyun can’t answer as a chill crawls over his skin, ice crystals forming despite the heat of Spring. The forest is crying, screaming in agony, even as it welcomes their King home. Minseok walks into the clearing, no armor, nothing but a sword at his hip, completely alone and entirely unbothered, cocking his head at Jongdeok, his gaze cool and assessing. 

“So you’re the great wildling king,” Minseok says. Jongdeok struggles against the roots, but they only wrap around his wrists tighter, holding him in place. “I have to say, you’re not much. Certainly been far more threatening kings and queens before you.”

“What is this?” Jongdeok demands. “What  _ are _ you?”

“Demon, of course,” Minseok answers, and the roots pull tighter. “Just like you.”

“Let him go!” Jongdae shouts, charging forward with his dagger in hand, but as he leaps down the roots grow to meet him, instantly trapping him in place. Baekhyun jumps into action without thinking, putting himself between Jongdae and Minseok and growling in warning. The roots don’t dare touch him. 

Minseok smiles. “So this is your Prince?” he asks Baekhyun, cocking his head. His eyes fall to the forest at Baekhyun’s feet, and he clenches his fists, but they do not dare touch Baekhyun. “I see. I thought I felt something familiar within you, but I wasn’t quite sure.”

From this close, he looks so tired. “Don’t do this, Minseok,” Baekhyun warns, pulling his mask aside. “The price is too great.” 

Minseok rolls his eyes. “Of course you’d say that, wolf, you’re just a seedling still, nothing more than a child,” he spits. “You haven’t even completed the ritual. Does the forest sing you to sleep like it did for me? Does it promise you salvation and peace? Do you  _ believe _ it?”

Baekhyun flinches.

“What is he talking about?” Jongdae asks, panicked. The roots tighten.

“I don’t know what I believe,” Baekhyun admits. “But I know that you can’t do this. If you destroy the Heart then you’ll destroy magic--”

“And the noise and chaos will end. Of all people, wolf,  _ you _ should understand me, why I must end the very thing that seeks to use us. This cycle has gone on for far too long.”

“I won’t let you. I can’t.” Baekhyun shakes his head. “I don’t care if the forest is using me for its own purpose, I know what you’re doing isn’t right. Everything you’ve done, Minseok, to tieflings, to the forest…  _ why _ ?”

Minseok hums, straightening, and his expression turns cold, devoid of any empathy. “We could’ve been great allies to one another, Baekhyun. We could’ve ended all of this together.” Minseok shrugs. “Ah well.”

He dashes forward with inhuman speed, and Baekhyun can’t keep up, only just managing in time to hold his dagger against the steel of Minseok’s sword, keeping him back.

“You’re weak,” Minseok spits, pushing harder. “Why did the forest choose you if you won’t even give into it?”

Baekhyun growls, throwing him back and making Minseok stumble before launching onto him, exchanging blows. His dagger scrapes along Minseok’s arm, but even with the wolfsbane it merely heals over. Minseok uses his magic to push, a solid wave of force and wind, and Baekhyun slides on his back, air taken from his lungs, skidding along the ground.

“Pathetic.” Minseok walks closer. “The forest waited hundreds of years for its next champion and it chose  _ you _ . How are you going to stop me if you fall down so easily?”

Baekhyun growls, wincing, but from the corner of his eye he spots a glimmer of light, the silver dagger embedded in the dirt, fallen from his belt. He grabs it, pouncing forward, and manages nothing more but a thin line along Minseok’s cheek before being pushed back again.

Minseok laughs, once, deprecating, wiping his hand along the graze. The blood is black. His irritation is palpable in the air around them, and Baekhyun is so caught off-guard he doesn’t move in time to dodge Minseok’s next blow.

There’s pain, and there’s blood, and the silver dagger falls from Baekhyun’s fingers, too weak to hold on. He glances down and sees Minseok’s sword, embedded in his chest, straight through his heart.

Belatedly, Baekhyun hears Jongdae scream, but then Minseok kicks him into the moat of water behind him, circling the First, and everything else drowns out.


	13. Chapter 13

The first thing Baekhyun sees, are memories.

 

Am I dead?

 

_No. Do you want to be?_

 

Baekhyun isn’t sure, but he at least knows the memories he sees don’t belong to him. It’s that boy again, the one in the forest, but this time the glimpse isn’t as brief, and it isn’t as sweet, either, because behind him the boy is being watched by figures he doesn’t even realise are there. The forest tries to shield him from them, but it can only do so much.

It washes away, and Baekhyun is swept up in the current, caught in a torrent of water that seems to spiral down into an endless abyss, nothing but darkness and the visions from eyes that aren’t eyes. He isn’t in his body, he’s just… thoughts and feelings barely connected together by a string of magic.

This time, the boy is older, but there’s a girl by his side, who shares his same ice-blue eyes. They’re laughing together, though the sight is silent, but Baekhyun can feel the forest’s song as a hum around him, a vibration of magic. It loves this child, he knows, it chose him to be its champion, to protect it, to nurture it, to be the body it can’t have, and he chose it in return. What bond could be stronger?

Humans, tieflings... back then they lived apart, divided, but they drowned in so much magic there was hardly any difference between them. The forest covered every inch of the land, and they were mostly unaware of each other. 

Mostly.

The humans were afraid, Baekhyun can see it, on their faces and in their eyes. They needed the boy to use his love and turn it into a weapon, to kill the tieflings before they killed _them_ , but he… he was just a boy, lost and confused, used at every turn. He didn’t like the bloodshed, but it made him stronger, and so he continued, burning down villages, shedding blood, protecting his home, his people.

The forest grew hungrier.

In all wars there are casualties, and in the next glimpse Baekhyun sees the little girl, his _sister_ , broken and bleeding, cold and dead. The boy’s scream of anguish is so powerful it breaks down the trees around him, for what good is the forest to love him if it won’t even protect what he loves most of all? 

And he feels it, the power, transferring into him, and his hunger is immense, unending, there’s a hole in his heart that can never be filled, so he pours magic into it, hoping to numb the pain. It never does. Even as he destroys the forest and the tieflings inside it that took everything from him, make them all suffer the same way he has suffered. Destroy magic the way it destroyed him.

It only makes him emptier.

 

Why are you showing me this?

 

 _Because you must understand_.

 

_We are life, and we are death. The balance must come first._

 

Baekhyun rejects it, feeling the the magic around him convulse and pull back. 

 

She didn’t deserve to die.

 

_Death is not justice. It is inevitable._

 

 _We are love,_ the Heart sings, brushing against Baekhyun’s cheek with a gentle caress. _And we are hatred_ . He feels the icy stab of Minseok’s sword pierce his chest again, and he just keeps falling. _You must accept us. You must give in._

“But isn’t death inevitable?” Baekhyun asks. “Maybe your time has come too.”

 _No_. And he feels it again, another pierce through his very essence itself, the pain immeasurable. _We are eternal._

“If you’re eternal then why can you die?” The magic pulses away from him. “Why do you fear it so much?”

 _Enough_ , the Heart hisses, and the song turns ugly, discordant and out-of-tune. _Without us, you will die. Give in._

“Without me, _you_ will die,” Baekhyun corrects. “Death is inevitable, remember? I don’t fear it.”

 _No_. Baekhyun feels something build within him, push out the forest that has begun to grow inside his veins, his lungs, his heart. **_No_** _._

“If you want to live,” Baekhyun tells it, and he pulls on _his_ blood, _his_ magic that he’d given to the forest time and time again, flowing through its roots, its veins, its Heart. “Then give in to _me_.” 

The Heart pushes back against him, but it’s brought him too close, and Baekhyun is able to reach out to the tendrils of magic, pulling them inwards. The song turns chaotic, reluctant, it kicks and screams like a petulant child, but Baekhyun’s hold is firm, relentless, until he’s touching the heart itself and he uses all his strength to tug it towards him, absorbing its magic.

It gives in.

It gives in, and Baekhyun feels _everything_ , every breath taken, every pulse of the forest's Heart, every flick of an insect's wings. The magic spreads and unfurls around him, connecting him to the edge of the world and back, a network of roots and limbs and life and magic, all centred by a single beating heart. The magic is dizzying, intoxicating, and far too powerful, threatening to burn Baekhyun from the inside out, but he holds onto it all the same, refusing to falter, to become corrupt, using the blood moon’s strength to remain unwavering.

He can feel the black wolves merging into his shadows, a young fawn grazing upon his skin, a raven nesting in his limbs. He can feel the bloodhounds and the wolves fighting the tieflings over his body, so his voice whispers in the wind between the trees, and the animals bound towards the battlefield, roots ensnaring the enemies as the forest stops singing for bloodshed and fights _back_.

He can feel Jongdae’s magic, anguished, screaming, can hear the song of his heart as it cries in pain, can feel Minseok, cold and dead, a void that seeks to capture his power. 

Baekhyun’s eyes open, and he gasps, inhaling only water. There are roots from the First that are digging into his arms, his legs, the hole in his chest where Minseok’s sword had pierced him, all extensions of Baekhyun himself. The Heart gave itself to him, after all, so Baekhyun pushes himself upwards, breaking the water’s surface and landing cleanly, completely dry. 

Eyes turn towards him, shocked and frozen in place as Baekhyun emerges, more whole than he had been when he fell. Jongdae gasps at the sight, taken aback as an expression of bewilderment and disbelief crosses Minseok’s face.

“Baekhyun?” Jongdae asks, reverent, and the roots around his limbs deteriorate, the hunters and Jongdeok freed too.

“What--” Minseok tries, but Baekhyun is fast, empowered by the moon and the forest both to snatch the dagger off the ground and lunge forward, engaging Minseok in quick combat. He can’t keep up, and it forces him to leap back, confused and _afraid_. “What did you do? Why doesn’t the forest listen to me?” 

“You stole our magic and used it against us,” Baekhyun says. “ _We_ gave in.” 

Minseok’s eyes widen in fear, but Baekhyun only pushes closer, slashing against Minseok’s sword as roots begin to grow at his feet, wrapping around his ankles and pulling him down. He collapses, his wrists ensnared. 

“Return what you stole from us.”

Minseok scowls. “Never.” 

He breaks free from the bonds and attacks Baekhyun, but his power, stolen, leeched, is nothing in the face of _true_ magic, and Baekhyun easily keeps up, stabbing the silver dagger through Minseok’s shoulder and hearing him scream as black blood pours from the wound, dripping to the earth, returning to the forest.

Minseok falls to his knees, wincing in pain. The dagger steams where pure silver meets demon flesh, and he pulls it out with a groan, falling into the grass. Roots capture Minseok again, but this time he’s too weak to stop them, coiling around his torso and squeezing.

Baekhyun inhales, closing his eyes, and he closes his bond with the forest, cutting off its magic from his. Slowly, it fades, and he exhales, opening his eyes again, no longer one with its power. He feels exhausted and burnt out, like he could collapse at any second, and Baekhyun staggers to the side, caught only by Jongdae’s gentle hands propping him up, catching him just in time.

“Are you okay?” he asks, and Baekhyun can only nod, pushing himself up only to fall back down into Jongdae again. Jongdae grabs the front of Baekhyun’s tunic and pulls him in for a rough kiss.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

Baekhyun can only laugh, finally managing to stand. “I thought you said you needed time,” he jokes, weak.

“Fuck time,” Jongdae responds, embracing Baekhyun in relief. “I thought you _died_.”

“Gods,” Minseok groans, still dripping black blood onto the forest floor as the roots squeeze tighter. “At least finish the job. Don’t make me sit through this.” 

Baekhyun’s face falls, and he turns to Minseok, gently pushing Jongdae away to walk on his own two feet. Jongdeok runs forward now, but Jongdae holds him back, as Baekhyun stares into Minseok’s eyes.

“I know what happened to her,” Baekhyun says. “You don’t have to do this.”

The anger is instantaneous, and Minseok snarls, lurching forward. He hardly budges though, ensnared; Baekhyun doesn’t flinch. 

“How dare you even speak of her.” Minseok spits. “Your stupid forest promised me protection, safety, _home_ , and it wouldn’t even save my sister. She was the only family I ever had. The only family I was _allowed_ to have.”

“I know,” Baekhyun tries. “I _know_ , but she was the casualty of a war _your_ leaders started. You can’t punish tieflings for the crimes of a stray arrow, for the mistakes of the humans before you.”

“Witness me.” 

Baekhyun can see the cold fury in Minseok’s eyes, but beneath it there’s only hundreds of years of pain, of suffering, of agony. So much hurt and no one to help heal it, nowhere for it to go. 

Baekhyun can’t do it.

Baekhyun can’t kill Minseok, because he refuses to spill more blood, he refuses to give in to the seemingly endless cycle of war and bloodshed. If he kills Minseok does he steal his magic? Does he become as corrupt and hungry as Minseok? As empty? He won’t let the hole Baekbeom’s death left behind consume him from the inside out. He refuses.

Baekhyun shakes his head. “You can change, Minseok. You can fix your wrongs. I know you can. You don’t have to use her death for such petty cruelty. She wouldn’t have wanted that.”

“You didn’t _know_ her,” Minseok growls. “You know only the lies the forest has shown you. You’re still just a tool, letting its hunger and greed and selfishness spread.”

Baekhyun doesn’t grace him with a response, saddened, walking back towards Jongdae and Jongdeok instead.

“What do you want to do with him?” Jongdeok asks. “He’s too powerful to imprison.”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun admits. 

“Baekhyun…” Jongdeok tries, mouth twisting. “I know you don’t like it, but sometimes death must be delivered in justice’s name.”

“Death is never just,” Baekhyun recites, hollow. “Only inevitable.” 

Jongdae scowls at Minseok. “Not in this case.”

It makes Baekhyun’s chest hurt, to see such fury on Jongdae’s face, because in a way, he _understands_ Minseok, and it makes it all the harder. But perhaps there’s a line where understanding cannot excuse the cruelties Minseok has enacted, and maybe Jongdae is right, but it’s not a choice Baekhyun can make so easily, and not while exhausted.

On cue, he sways, still drained from abusing magic beyond his ability, crumpling against Jongdae’s side.

“You’re okay,” Jongdae reassures. “I’ve got you.”

“What… _was_ that, Baekhyun?” Jongdeok asks. “What are you?”

“Just a wolf,” he answers wryly, offering a crooked smile.

“It’s not the first time he’s done that,” Kyungsoo adds, stepping closer. “You bonded with the forest, didn’t you? Or something like it…”

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Baekhyun admits, sliding a hand over his heart. The wound from Minseok’s sword is gone, and the skin has healed smooth, nothing but the edges of the brand visible now. “The forest chose me long ago to be its vessel, to give it my magic so it could use me. But then it gave into _me_ , gave me its magic. I feel…” He curls his fingers into a fist. “...Different.” 

“I always knew it favoured you,” Jongdae says. “I didn’t know it favoured you _that_ much.”

Baekhyun laughs, pressing his forehead to Jongdae’s shoulder and inhaling. It’s all over, somehow, they stopped it. They _won_. He pulls back, and they grin at each other.

A pulse of magic.

“How sweet.” Minseok smiles cruelly, free of his bonds, the silver dagger in his hands as he strikes forward, aiming for Jongdae’s heart. Everything unwinds in slow motion, and Baekhyun isn’t quick enough, unable to stop its inevitability as the dagger tears through flesh.

Jongdae screams, but the silver dagger isn’t embedded in his chest, it’s in Jongdeok’s, who had stepped forward to block the blow. 

Baekhyun reopens his bond with the forest to ensnare Minseok once again, the silver dagger falling from his fingers, but Jongdeok can only fall back into Kyungsoo’s arms as Jongdae roars, picking the dagger off the ground and plunging it through Minseok’s heart in return.

He looks down, startled, black blood beginning to pour from his lips.

He laughs, a bitter huff.

“At least one of you had the heart to do it,” Minseok says, smiling, and his eyes close in relief. Cracks grow along his skin like fractured bone, and like paper he simply disintegrates, withering away, nothing but a few drops of black blood left to sink into the earth, restoring what was stolen. 

Jongdae, shaking, drops the dagger, rushing back to his brother as Kyungsoo steps back, cradling his face.

“Jongdeok,” he cries, sobbing. “Open your eyes, they have to stay open.”

“Jongdae,” Jongdeok replies, smiling softly as blood bubbles over his lips. “Take care of mother, okay?” His voice is so weak, so slow. “Take care of them all.”

Jongdae rapidly shakes his head. “I don’t need to, because you’ll be there with me, right? We can take care of them together.”

Jongdeok laughs, a simple puff of air through his nose. “Always.” 

His gaze grows distant, and Baekhyun quivers, knowing the silver is too potent to stop. 

Jongdae turns to him. “You can save him, can’t you?” he asks Baekhyun, desperate. “You’re the forest, there must be some way--”

But there isn’t, for death is inevitable.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun croaks out, tears beginning to fall.

Jongdae’s face turns to horror, and Jongdeok’s body stills. Jongdae folds himself over it as he screams, sobbing, the magic around him singing in anguish.

“Jongdae--” Kyungsoo reaches out, but Jongdae doesn’t respond to his touch, simply continuing to cry. Baekhyun can feel Jongdeok’s essence seeping into the forest, dispersing, reunited with his home at last.

In the cold silence of the Forest’s Heart, Baekhyun can do nothing but listen to Jongdae’s sobs, two fallen Kings between them. The sun rises over the horizon, the dawn of a new day, but Baekhyun can’t tell who had claimed victory, and who had lost all that mattered most.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa so this short little adventure has come to the final destination. i guess it's nothing monumental because i updated every night but. still. this is the longest thing ive ever finished and published (as of right now), im feeling sentimental. i'm glad some of you were willing to put up with chapter-by-chapter posting so it didnt feel like i was just yelling into a void about furries. i never expected so much love and support, so thank you all a lot!!!!
> 
> endings aren't my strength and im starting to realise it's because even when my hands are tired of typing i never really want the story to end. ah well, even with my precious furry baekchen babies, all things must come to a close eventually, though this story will always have its own special place in my heart.
> 
> thank you if you made it this far, i hope you can enjoy it to the very end ♡
> 
> lovely art for this chapter [here](https://twitter.com/chen_gzi/status/1146501054634156032) im so emotional ;-;

The aftermath of war is devastating. 

The first thing Baekhyun does is to reconnect to the forest, to push the Keepers and the wolves from inside and to tell them that their king is dead, to let the wind carry his voice for miles. He can feel the humans on his skin scramble away, panicked, and when he falls down this time it’s Kyungsoo who catches him, watching Jongdae wipe away his tears before cradling his brother into his arms.

The deep forest is wounded, bleeding, trees knocked down and blood spilt, and there is so much death. Human, tiefling, it’s almost impossible to distinguish, faces Baekhyun knew in Greykeep, faces he knew in Hel, faces he doesn’t recognise at all. But the enemies are gone now, leaving only exhausted tieflings in place, slumping.

“Is it over?” Sooyoung asks. “Did we win?” 

Baekhyun turns over his shoulder, one arm slung around Kyungsoo, to watch Jongdae procede through with the dead King in his arms. Sooyoung’s expression shatters.

Sehun runs up to them, Taeyeon and her pack shortly behind, keeping their distance as all the tieflings of Hel gather around Jongdae in a circle. He lays his brother’s body down, some beginning to cry while others try to keep a brave face. 

The young and old return from their hiding place, and the circle parts. Jongdae raises his head to meet his mother’s eyes, who looks down at her son’s body in anguish. She runs towards her children and screams in pain, cradling Jongdeok’s head to her chest, spurring a new bout of tears from Jongdae. The shamans begin to sing, a song of mourning, of praise, of love, and the tieflings of Hel give in, removing their masks and bowing their heads. 

The funeral is far from a celebratory event, as all the casualties from the battle are lined up to be given to the forest. Jongdeok’s body is covered in wildflowers, and Jongdae alone sings his song of mourning as roots grow from the earth to pull him beneath. Baekhyun can feel Jongdeok’s magic flow through him with a gentle, tired sigh, and as Jongdae’s song grows too choked to finish Baekhyun pulls him against his chest, letting Jongdae bury his face in the crook of his neck to cry.

“He’s with your father now,” the Queen assures, as Jongdae sniffles and pulls back, looking at her watery expression. “Watching over us together.” She smiles, even as her tears continue to fall. Baekhyun gives her a pitying look, which she turns away from. Even as she puts on a brave face, Baekhyun can’t help but think there must be no greater pain in the world than a mother outliving her own child.

The people speak well of their King, they mourn him, and in a way, Baekhyun thinks it helps, to process it all as a family, to remember they are not alone. Still, once he’s sure Jongdae is stable he slips away, finding a spot in the deep forest and asking it for stones, which it easily delivers. He builds them one by one into a short pyramid, a makeshift tombstone, like it would be done in Greykeep. Baekhyun kneels before it and prays, asking the gods once again to watch over his brother, to make sure he’s okay. It’s a lonely, somber funeral, but it feels more traditional than the makeshift one Baekhyun had rushed before the blood moon, and it brings peace to his heart. Knowing that his brother and Jongdeok are both at rest now is a quiet relief.

Baekhyun is startled as a figure kneels beside him, but it’s just Jongdae, taking up the same praying stance. It makes Baekhyun smile, and as he finishes his prayers, he tips his head against Jongdae’s shoulder, relaxing. 

“Maybe they’ve finally met and are laughing at us together,” Jongdae jokes, voice soft. “Wherever they are.”

Baekhyun isn’t sure he believes in an afterlife, not when he’d felt their magic disperse into the trees around them, becoming one with the forest that protects them, but he smiles at the thought all the same. 

“Maybe.”

“He’d be proud of you,” Jongdae says, voice sure. “Of the person you’ve become.”

Baekhyun lifts his head, smiling at Jongdae. “He’d be proud of you too.”

  
  
  
  


With no Hel to return to, the tieflings become nomads of a sort, moving together as one in search of a new place to call home. The wolves that had switched sides stick together at the back of the herd, still unsure of their place, but Baekhyun takes comfort in the fact that they’re here, smiling at Taeyeon.

With such a tiny figure, she double-steps to catch up to him, matching his longer strides. 

“Baekhyun…” Her face contorts, reluctant. “...You weren’t the only one with family in Greykeep that you left behind.”

“I know,” he says, because he’s aware of the sacrifices that the wolves have made to change sides like this, to give up all they’ve known to seek the truth. He’d know, because he’s been there. It’s the same path he’d walked, the same path Sehun walks now that he’d brought them onto. “And I promise you we’ll ensure they’re safe.”

Taeyeon relaxes at that, nodding. She still seems conflicted about all this, the magic and the freedom of Hel, but she, and all the other wolves will come around to it in time. Baekhyun is sure of it. 

  
  
  


They wander for days, weeks on end, setting up campsite from place to place. No matter where they stop, it’s never suitable --resources too scarce, space too limited. Without the Blood Tree standing guard, they’re left to the whims of the forest, protected only by Baekhyun’s presence.

“Can you not sense somewhere for us to go?” Kyungsoo asks one night, as their makeshift council meets once again. “It feels like we’ve only wandered in circles.”

Baekhyun feels the forest brush against him through their bond. It’s nothing like the one he’d had with Jongdae, soft and gentle. No, having the forest in his blood is like having a sword impaled in his chest, always careful not to move too fast or it will split him in half. Even with the forest giving into him, conjoining them, he still can’t trust it. 

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I don’t want to rely on its power, I’m not sure what will happen if I open the bond too much.” Not that Baekhyun feels all that different. While the forest is quicker to bend to his will and louder to hear, it’s not a power he can use without taking a great toll on his body and his mind. It’s also not something he _likes_ to use, because Baekhyun had never asked to be chosen by the forest, he just was. He’s too wary of becoming corrupted by its magic even like this, too fearful of the deep, insatiable hunger he can sense through the bond’s block becoming his own indefinitely.

“We don’t know anything about this power,” Jongdae agrees, frowning in thought at the fire. “We shouldn’t abuse it. Especially for our own gain.”

Turns out when you force the forest to submit to you and give you its magic, there isn’t really much protocol for that. Jongdae has argued that Baekhyun was and always will be a part of Hel, but Hel is gone now, and not all the tieflings share that opinion.

Baekhyun nods. “The forest believes it always comes first.” 

Chanyeol grimaces, then smothers the expression to appear more serious.

“We serve it,” the Queen states. “But we all know better than to trust it. Does that mean we can trust you?” She arches an eyebrow at Baekhyun. 

He looks down at his hands, having wondered the same thing, but he also knows the Queen isn’t just referring to his bond with the forest.

“I must serve the forest,” he admits, clenching his hands into fists. He can feel it inside him after all, its desperate need to grow. It needs him to do so much, to protect it from Greykeep, to fill the hole inside it, and Baekhyun can’t ignore its urges when they feel like his own. “But I’m still me. I’m still a tiefling. The forest doesn’t wish to harm any of you and neither do I.”

Jongdae turns to Baekhyun, smiling softly. It makes Baekhyun want to reach out and touch, but he’s not sure if he’s allowed. 

“The forest is unpredictable,” the Queen says with finality. “But for now, I’m viewing its choosing of you as a blessing, Baekhyun, not a curse. Let’s hope that remains the case.”

Baekhyun bows in gratitude. The Queen’s tired face softens.

  
  
  
  


Grief is a strange thing, because for the most part Baekhyun is too swept up in the happenings of the tieflings that he forgets the sacrifices paid to get here. Then, in the little moments, he remembers, and his sadness is so neverending it affects the forest through their bond, the wind storming around him. 

“Such a sad song,” Jongdae comments, startling Baekhyun as he jumps in the water where he’d been washing, pulled from his thoughts. Jongdae laughs at him, and Baekhyun droops, burying his body beneath the creek’s surface and flattening his ears, dejected. 

“Sorry,” Baekhyun mumbles. “The bond is strange. It’s not easy to control.”

“Why are you apologising? It’s not like I’m expecting you to know how to deal with being connected to an eternal forest.” Jongdae snorts, sitting by the edge of the water, making Baekhyun turn warm. The exhaustion is clear along Jongdae’s shoulders, on his face, and Baekhyun can hear the way his heart is singing a song of grief through the ears of the forest. They’ve been camped in this area for some time now, the exhaustion growing too large throughout the tieflings to cull. It’s the first time anyone has had to relax since before Baekhyun betrayed them all.

He buries himself deeper in the water.

“I’ve been thinking,” Jongdae muses, Baekhyun’s ears flicking to show he’s listening. “Maybe… Maybe we’ll never find a place that’s perfect for Hel. Maybe we have to make it ourselves. We can’t just wait for everything to be perfect on the first try. There’s food here, water, protection. We just have to adjust and grow.” Jongdae swallows, throat bobbing. “Do you think that decision is the right one?”

Baekhyun can see it then, the nervousness in Jongdae’s eyes. He will be King now, yes, but it doesn’t mean he knows how to. 

“I think you’re right,” Baekhyun offers, smiling reassuringly. “Home is something you have to fight for, that you have to make for yourself.”

Jongdae smiles. “I’m relieved you agree, your opinion matters to me.” Silence passes then, as Baekhyun bites his tongue, staring down at the water. They’d shared one kiss in the heat of the moment born from desperation and relief, yes, but they’ve still been… tip-toeing around one another. Yet here Jongdae is, open and vulnerable, and it makes Baekhyun confused.

“I will always love and support you, Jongdae,” he starts, braver than he feels. “And I want to help you in any way I can as you become king--” Jongdae’s face softens, saddened-- “But I need to know where I stand.”

He can’t just circle around Jongdae forever, waiting and waiting for him to make the first move. No, Baekhyun only ever wants honesty between them now, and if Jongdae turns him down then so be it, Baekhyun will still be there for him in which ever ways he can. 

Jongdae’s lips turn up. 

“It makes sense for the King to have the forest on his side, doesn’t it?”

Baekhyun swallows. “Is that all you want me for?”

Jongdae’s smile falls. “No,” he admits, expression serious. “I want you because I love you.” Baekhyun freezes, the trees stilling with him. Jongdae exhales, slow and steady. “Maybe we fell too hard and too fast, we both made mistakes because of it and we’ve both paid the price but... it doesn’t matter, because at the end of it all I still love you.” Baekhyun’s heart swells three times its size. “You’re so different from the imprisoned wolf I met moons ago--” Jongdae laughs softly at the thought-- “But my love has only ever grown alongside you.”

Baekhyun surges out of the water, crawling up the river bank so that they’re face to face, dripping over Jongdae, who’s too distracted to care.

“I’ve only changed because of you,” Baekhyun tells him, clear and brave, maintaining eye-contact so Jongdae can see his sincerity. “And after everything I-- I still don’t deserve you.”

“Stop it.” Jongdae’s hands wrap around the back of Baekhyun’s neck, searching his face, cupping his jaw. “It’s not about what we deserve, it’s about what we choose, and I’m choosing to trust in you, to have you by my side. Is that what you want too?”

Baekhyun’s fingers hook around Jongdae’s wrists. “More than anything. I want to help you in any way that I can, to help our people, to become a person worthy of being by your side.”

“You already are.” Jongdae’s thumbs sweep over Baekhyun’s cheeks, and Baekhyun feels his eyes begin to water. “I’m yours and you’re mine, remember puppy? Always.”

They kiss, then, and it feels like coming home, tasting of relief and joy. The wind roars around them, responding to Baekhyun’s heart or Jongdae’s he isn’t sure, but Baekhyun leans into the kiss all the same, with his lips and his tongue and his teeth, giving Jongdae his all. He hurt Jongdae once through selfishness, and he refuses to do that ever again, to turn back into the hurt and scared wolf barking at its own shadow. From now on, all Baekhyun will do is grow. 

  
  
  
  


Jongdae’s first announcement as Crown Prince is at the centre of the campsite after speaking with his council --the Queen, the shamans, Kyungsoo-- gathering their people to tell them that they will wander in search of a new Hel no longer. The faces that watch him are hesitant, wary, but Jongdae’s confidence doesn’t waver. 

“Home isn’t something you find,” Jongdae tells them. “It’s something you choose. Something you fight to make for yourself.”

Sadness pangs Baekhyun’s chest, the wind singing to meet it. Home was once with Baekbeom, in Greykeep, but Baekhyun grew too large to stay there. He misses his brother more than anything, filled with regret, but burrowing himself in the past will leave no room for the future. Jongdae, Junmyeon, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, all of Hel... they gave Baekhyun a new home, one worth fighting for. Some part of him will always miss what he once had, in the strangest of ways, but he hopes he’s become someone Baekbeom would be proud of. Jongdeok, too.

Even as the crowds disperse at the end of Jongdae’s speech, he’s still shaking, pale and nervous.

“You made the right choice,” Kyungsoo consoles, putting a hand on Jongdae’s shoulder. “Don’t doubt yourself.”

“How can I not?” Jongdae replies, laughing self-deprecatingly. “All their lives are in my hands.”

“You aren’t alone, though,” Sehun offers, wringing his wrists. Baekhyun smiles. 

“Sehun’s right.” He steps forward. “You don’t have to do it all yourself.”

Jongdae exhales in relief, then grins, Kyungsoo smiling at the sight and hugging him before blinking and looking down, where roots have coiled around his ankle.

“Baekhyun?” he prompts. “Possessive, much?”

Baekhyun turns red and the roots quickly wither, the group laughing at him. Even if it’s at his expense, he grins, just relieved to see them all capable of smiling together after everything.

  
  
  
  


“Be honest. Do I look ridiculous?”

Baekhyun takes it all in, the markings painted on Jongdae’s face, the golden circlet, the long fur cloak that billows behind him, fit for a king.

“No,” Baekhyun admits. “You always look beautiful.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes, but Baekhyun knows him well enough to tell that he’s pleased. They’re simply taking their new relationship… slow. Slow enough that Baekhyun flirts with Jongdae relentlessly, trying to prove that he’s here to stay, that he won’t hurt Jongdae, not again. Not ever. Jongdae seems to enjoy it.

Mischievous, Baekhyun extends his hand through the tent and lets a flower bloom across the forest’s skin, plucking it from the ground and holding up the extravagant silver moon blossom in offering to Jongdae.

“That’s cheating,” he deadpans.

“It’s the final touch,” Baekhyun corrects, stepping forward and tucking the flower into Jongdae’s topknot, covering the fractured hairpin. “There. Perfect.”

He smiles at Jongdae, and Jongdae’s eyes drop to Baekhyun’s mouth, and before he knows it Jongdae is pushing himself against him, kissing him.

“I hate you,” Jongdae mumbles, even as Baekhyun grins. “Cunning puppy.”

“Only for you.” Baekhyun brushes a strand of hair from Jongdae’s face, and hears him grunt in return, capturing Baekhyun’s mouth for hot, sticky kisses, rutting against his thigh. “Jongdae, wait-- you’re going to be late--”

“Don’t care.” And well, in hindsight, neither does Baekhyun.

  
  
  
  
  


“Where have you been?” the Queen snaps as Baekhyun and Jongdae jog towards her, still adjusting their clothes in shame. “Do you know how it looks to be late to your own coronation!?!?!”

“Sorry mother,” Jongdae apologises, though it’s hardly sincere. His mother just sighs, waving him onwards. 

All the tieflings of their new, makeshift home gather and sing. Baekhyun moves to join them, but the Queen keeps him firmly by her side at the front of it all. Jongdae walks through the parting crowd slowly, his eyes trained on Baekhyun as the shamans hold up a new crown. 

Jongdae bows in front of his mother, pressing her extended hand against his forehead, removing his circlet and allowing the Queen to place his new crown in place. It is a crown of golden thorns and blooming flowers, with thin chains looping around Jongdae’s face. A crown fit for a reluctant king.

His expression is solemn as he rises, but his mother smiles at him, endlessly proud, and it seems to imbue him with a little bit of strength. 

“I never wanted to be King,” Jongdae tells her, voice quiet. “I was never _meant_ to be King.”

Her smile turns soft, mellow, and she reaches out to cup Jongdae’s face.

“But you will be a great King all the same. They would both be so proud of you.”

Jongdae gives a fractured smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, turning to Baekhyun and taking his hand.

Baekhyun squeezes. “ _Now_ you look ridiculous.” Jongdae’s laugh is the most beautiful thing in the world.

Jongdae takes his blessings from the head shamans, and then turns to face the crowd, swallowing in nervousness. They look at him with so much expectation, so much support and love and awe, it’s as wonderful as it is miserable. 

Jongdae inhales shakily, and then he _roars_ , a powerful call that curries the winds to his side, sweeping over them. Leopards don’t roar like lions do, they are solitary creatures, quiet hunters in the darkness, but Jongdae is loud all the same, the crowd cheering and chanting his name.

As he finishes, breathless, Jongdae looks at his people, shocked at the power of their cheers, and he smiles. 

  
  
  


 

Jongdae collapses onto the sleep skins.

“I. Am. Exhausted.” 

“Doesn’t surprise me.” Baekhyun grins, stalking forward. Even naked he’s still sweating in the thick heat of summer. “Such a devoted King~”

Jongdae grunts, and Baekhyun laughs, carding through Jongdae’s hair to hear him sigh, which eventually tapers off into a purr, nuzzling into Baekhyun’s hands. He can sense Jongdae’s exhaustion through the song of his magic, but it’s not the same as it would be if they could bond. With their last one broken and the forest inside Baekhyun now, they’d had to decide against trying again, too fearful of the consequences. It saddens Baekhyun, this small rift that will always exist between them, but he reasons that at least they both know what they’re always thinking anyway.

Jongdae’s sigh melts into relief, home in Baekhyun’s arms. 

“Want to be a good puppy and help me run away tonight?” Jongdae asks, eager. “Just for a few hours.”

“Don’t you have another council meeting?” Baekhyun is skeptical. Half of him is torn between the parts of him that want to support Jongdae as king, to help his transition into duty feel less burdensome. Other parts of him just want to keep Jongdae to himself, like always.

“Maybe,” Jongdae mumbles. “But what could we possible have to talk about? I don’t know why I have to be there for _every_ single decision, you’d think they’d be able to come up with which events they want to hold for the solstice themselves. I know we’re waiting for the village to recover before we make any bigger plans about Greykeep _,_ but spirits.”

Baekhyun hums, shifting a little at the mention. 

“The people need the solstice celebrations,” Baekhyun points out. “After everything that happened… it will give them something to celebrate. It’s important to be a part of that decision.”

Jongdae pulls a reluctant face. “I suppose,” he grumbles, nuzzling into Baekhyun’s neck. “Does that mean you don’t want to escape with me?”

“I never said _that_.” 

They run into the forest quickly, giggling like children, scaring deer from the river sides and chasing rabbits into their holes. As they stumble to a stop, panting, Jongdae pulls Baekhyun against him and kisses him, backing against a tree, Baekhyun slotting his thigh between Jongdae’s legs, one arm braced above his head. It’s a familiar routine.

The trees around them groan and creak, and they pull apart, blinking in confusion as the forest rearranges itself.

“Are you...?” Jongdae looks at Baekhyun, who shakes his head. A path clears ahead of them, and curiously, they walk through it. “What is it saying?”

“Nothing,” Baekhyun says, blinking. The song is silent, even inside his blood.

Jongdae inhales then, and Baekhyun holds his breath, watching as Hel comes into view, burnt and blackened and silent, a crumbled village. Baekhyun can hear the way Jongdae’s heart aches as he sees what has become of what he once called home. 

They walk through the ashen paths in a pensive silence, a deep sadness echoing around them.

“Why here?” Jongdae asks, eventually. “Why did it bring us _here?_ ”

Baekhyun doesn’t know, but when they reach the blackened Blood Tree, Jongdae’s heart seems to break all over again, pressing his palm against its dead flesh, then leaning his forehead on it, singing under his breath.

Baekhyun gives him space, eyes wandering upwards as he cranes his neck to follow the tree’s branches, catching on something peculiar higher up.

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun interrupts, pointing. “What’s that?”

Jongdae follows his gaze, frowning, and leaps into the branches without hesitation, climbing so high Baekhyun gets nervous just looking at him, plucking the strange, red object from the dead tree branch and smoothly coming back down. 

Jongdae holds the red pod in his hands, and the shell disintegrates, fluttering in the wind, leaving nothing but a small seed in its place.

Jongdae’s breath hitches, and he smiles.

“It’s a gift,” Jongdae says, eyes watering. “It means we’ve found home.”

The seed is so tiny, so fragile, it’s hard to believe that such a powerful tree could be born from something so small. Jongdae lets Baekhyun cradle it in his palm, feeling its magic pulse, smiling down at it. Even in death, new life can be found, old wounds can heal and what was once broken can be fixed. There is always, _always_ hope, and it fills Baekhyun with joy.

  
  
  
  


They plant the seed in the centre of their new home, the new Hel, to grow and flourish and protect them once more, to watch over the tieflings. The seed can’t be coerced by magic no matter how much the shamans sing to it, but Baekhyun can feel it, growing inside him, and he reassures them that it will come, they just need to wait.

On the night of the full moon, when the sprout finally breaks through the soil, the whole village celebrates. There’s song and dance and a huge feast, and the forest around them too, sings in celebration. Baekhyun basks in it all, smiling to himself as he watches Chanyeol clumsily dance just to make Junmyeon laugh, the wolves timidly pulled into the fray by various villagers. Sehun, of all people, seems to be talking with _Kyungsoo_ , discussing something passionately given by their exaggerated hand gestures as they drink juniper wine from wooden cups. Apparently they get along well, maybe Kyungsoo has a habit of befriending all the wolves he tries to kill --Chanyeol had made a joke that their kids would have to hatch from eggs; Junmyeon had grimaced in disgust and pushed him into a tree.

Baekhyun is pulled from his thoughts by a deep purr as Jongdae approaches him in panther form, nuzzling against his shoulder and flopping into his lap. Baekhyun laughs, burying his fingers in his soft fur, his purring growing louder.

“Don’t you have some speeches to make, my King?”

Jongdae gives Baekhyun what can only be called puppy dog eyes, despite being in cat form, and Baekhyun sighs with exasperated fondness, letting Jongdae flop all over him, scratching between his ears to hear him give a happy _mrrp_ noise, which Baekhyun mocks.

They sit there, curled up together despite the heat of summer, watching the celebrations a safe distance away. The fur between Baekhyun’s fingers turn to hair, and he glances down, confused, human Jongdae now lying in his lap.

“Baekhyun,” he says. “We should get entwined.”

Baekhyun freezes.

“What?” 

“We should get entwined.”

“I heard you the first time I--” Baekhyun stumbles over himself, caught off-guard. “That’s such a lame way of proposing.”

Jongdae scoffs, whacking his chest. Baekhyun laughs, bracing his arms up to dodge the next blow.

“What did you expect? Flowers and a choir?” 

“You could at least _try_ to be a little more romantic.” 

“Yeah?” Jongdae goads, sitting up and straddling Baekhyun’s lap. His hands settle on Jongdae’s waist on instinct. “Is that a no?”

“I never said _that_ ,” Baekhyun mumbles, and falls into Jongdae’s kiss easily, incapable of growing tired of his mouth. 

“So it’s a yes then?” Jongdae pulls back, grinning. What a manipulator.

“Of course.” Baekhyun intertwines their fingers, covered in matching rings. He raises Jongdae’s to his lips to press a kiss against them. “I’m yours and you’re mine. You can have me in any way you want.”

Jongdae softens, his love singing around him. It’s not the same as it was, and maybe it never will be --Baekhyun broke it, after all, and he paid the price-- but it’s there all the same, even if there’s so much new-found sadness behind Jongdae’s eyes, his face hardened in a way it wasn’t before. Their love will grow into a different shape too, no less powerful than it had been before. 

“You should know…” Jongdae trails off, frowning with a crease between his brows. Baekhyun seeks to smooth it out. “If we’re entwined, our relationship becomes official. That means you’ll be Prince Consort, invited to sit on the council, rule by my side--”

“I know.” Baekhyun kisses him, just to shut him up. “My answer is still yes.”

Jongdae’s grin is blinding.

  
  
  
  


The ceremony becomes a hassle, in hindsight, as the village is in shambles to prepare for the King’s entwining. New robes are made, a feast is prepared, and Baekhyun and Jongdae are continuously bothered about what colour flowers they want in their wreaths, what sort of food they’d liked to be served, where they’d like to have it. Baekhyun has no strong opinions, he’d get entwined with Jongdae in a cave in the rain with just the two of them, happy so long as they’re together, but he understands that the village _needs_ this. They need the gossip, the panic, the ceremony, it distracts them from their wounds and their misery. Even the wolves, homesick and hurting, somehow get swept up in it all. 

Per tradition before the ceremony, Baekhyun and Jongdae are separated, which Baekhyun doesn’t particularly care for. In the old days to be entwined was a ceremony _before_ bonding, but in modern times it’s nothing much more than formality and tradition, something very few tieflings take part in, but something necessary to the King. 

Baekhyun is dressed in long soft robes bleached white, his arms bare to show his hunter’s tattoo and his newest addition, a tree growing around his other arm, its trunk wrapping around his whole arm, its branches sprawled and blooming across his shoulder blades and down his back, a symbol of his bond to the forest. He feels ridiculous in such clothing, completely impractical, but at least they’re light in the heat of summer.

To top it all off, he’s given a wreath of blooming silver flowers, sitting neatly around his ears. The pollen makes his nose itch.

“Very pretty,” Sehun commends as Chanyeol finishes dressing him, beaming. 

“The King is lucky to have such a handsome entwined,” he compliments, holding up a polished bronze mirror so Baekhyun can see himself. He doesn’t look like the ragged hunter he usually feels he is, instead soft and handsome for his King.

“I feel… ridiculous.”

Junmyeon laughs, pinching his index and thumb together. “Just a little.”

They’re to be entwined by the Blood Tree’s sapling, in front of the whole village. Baekhyun feels nervous, somehow, his stomach doing continuous swoops, like he’ll fuck up his vows or will trip during the procession or something equally as ridiculous.

“You’ll be fine,” Junmyeon assures, pressing at the small of his back. “Now go kiss the love of your life in front of everyone.”

Baekhyun starts his procession trying not to laugh, but all the air leaves him when he spots Jongdae on the opposite end of it, inhaling. He’s dressed in all white, similar to Baekhyun, though there’s a summer cloak of light furs around his shoulders, and his floral wreath is decorated with golden blossoms, woven through his hair. He’s so beautiful Baekhyun’s heart stops in his chest, and the forest’s song around him rises with his anticipation, the wind ripping through the crowd enough to make Jongdae’s wreath almost fall off, clutching onto it as he looks at Baekhyun and laughs.

The audience snickers, and Baekhyun turns red, picking up his pace to reach the centre at the same time Jongdae does. There are no words to say, they simply look at each other, breathless, feeling the way all their love rings in the air around them, a clear, sweet song.

Jongdae holds up an embroidered ribbon, red and gold, and extends his right hand as Baekhyun does the same, clasping them together.

“With this my heart is yours,” he recites, beginning to wind the ribbon around their hands. “With this our spirits are bound together as one. From now until eternity.” He hands the end of the ribbon to Baekhyun, who completes the winding.

“With this my heart is yours.” He tries not to let his voice shake too much, nervous in front of so many people. “With this I flow through you, blood of my blood. From now until eternity.” 

The ribbon end hangs between them, entwining, and Jongdae grins, tugging their conjoined hands so that Baekhyun falls into him, kissing him passionately. The crowd around them cheers, throwing flower petals into the air, but that all fades away as Baekhyun and Jongdae smile against each other’s mouths, Baekhyun using his free hand to wind it around Jongdae’s neck, pulling him closer.

When they finally break apart --which they do, if only because the Queen clears her throat, eyebrow raised-- Baekhyun’s face is so warm he’s worried his skin might melt off, tugging at his robes carefully. At least Jongdae is in no better state, though his tail curls in mischief.

Now it’s Baekhyun’s time to bow before his Queen, pressing her palm to his forehead and letting her remove his floral wreath, replacing it with a silver circlet, cast in the shape of two circular, meeting tree branches, a perfect fit. 

“Welcome to the family, Baekhyun,” she says, and actually _smiles_ at him. Baekhyun’s tail wags, and the whole crowd laughs.

The feast is wonderful, the plentiful harvest of summer providing them with succulent meat and fruits and vegetables of all sorts. Baekhyun and Jongdae have to stand together to accept all sorts of gifts for their entwining. Chanyeol gives them new sleep skins with a wink, Junmyeon had made them both beautiful yew bows, Kyungsoo gifts them food, of all things, having prepared a wonderful stew for them to share at the celebration. Seulgi and Joohyun give them new furs for the winter to come, hunted and made together, Sunyoung gifts them charms of good fortune, a blessing from her and the forest, and even the wolves bring them things. Sehun with his new earring in place with its decorative osprey feathers, Taeyeon and her pack, clunky misshapen decorations from still-learning hands and freshly hunted game, things to fill out the space in their new house together. 

It’s beyond flattering, how much the tieflings of Hel have to give, although Baekhyun doesn’t think they’ll even have _room_ for it all.

“I’m overwhelmed,” he tells Jongdae, just as the line to give them gifts and well-wishes finally stop. “Don’t tieflings ever consummate these things?”

Jongdae laughs, but his eyes go dark, wrapping a hand around Baekhyun’s waist to tug him closer. “I think we consummated this a _long_ time ago,” he mumbles, voice deep.

“Still,” Baekhyun argues, wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s neck. The ribbon, now cut in half, is bound tightly around Jongdae’s bicep, Baekhyun preferring to wear his half around his neck. “Tradition is tradition.”

Jongdae just laughs as Baekhyun kisses him through it, scooping Jongdae up into his arms as his laugh turns into a yelp, holding on as Baekhyun whisks him away from their own ceremony into the forest, willing the trees to close the path behind them.

"Finally," Baekhyun complains, laying Jongdae down to crawl in his lap and ravage him with kisses, giggling between them.

Jongdae's fingers slide through his hair, tossing the circlet aside. His hands move down next, tracing out Baekhyun's jaw and the ribbon at his throat, contemplative, before outlining the tattoos of his biceps.

"I can't believe we're _entwined,_ " Jongdae remarks, childish giddiness in the giggling magic around him.

"Now all you want is the children, right?"

"If you're trying to get me pregnant you're going to very disappointed when nothing happens."

Baekhyun snorts a reluctant laugh, forehead against Jongdae's shoulder, pressing against the fresh bite mark there. 

"I can feel it," he starts, pushing his fingers through Jongdae's.

"Feel what?" Jongdae asks, voice so soft and _fond_ it makes Baekhyun feel like his heart will burst from his chest.

He inhales steadily. "The edge of the forest," Baekhyun reveals. "I can feel where it stops, and I can feel that there's more beyond it, an entire world, Jongdae, I--"

Baekhyun pulls back, cutting off at the sad expression on Jongdae's face.

"I'm the King, Baekhyun…" he says. "I can't leave my people. Not now when they need me most…"

Baekhyun knows there's so much of the world to see, so much more to learn, things he seeks to understand to prevent the cycle of hatred and war continuing, things the forest only whispers about. But he knows that they must fix what's between them and Greykeep first, ensure that whoever the new leader may be will be diplomatic, willing to change, do his duty to the forest. It aches in Baekhyun that Jongdae must shoulder the burden the most, but there's no person more fit to be King. At least he won't be alone.

"Then I'll stay," Baekhyun promises. At least for now. Hel isn't quite home for Baekhyun --he is no longer a half-blood of Greykeep, but he's not quite a tiefling of Hel either. No, Baekhyun is the forest, life and death, shadow and light, demon and human. 

Jongdae kisses him, and Baekhyun kisses back, letting their love flood between them, a comforting lullaby. Hel isn't quite home, but the friends and family he’s made there are, and Baekhyun will do whatever it takes to ensure their safety and to restore the balance that was taken away.

But for now, he just kisses Jongdae. Baekhyun is only a hungry wolf, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/astrobiemish)


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